Albert Hammond, Jr.
Yours To Keep
Rough Trade / New Line
By Mike Randall
It’s never comforting to fans when a member of their favorite band releases a solo album. It’s even less comforting when that solo album is a departure from the band’s core sound and it’s still really good. Although Albert Hammond, Jr. has made it clear he’s not leaving The Strokes (at least for now), he has stepped out of the designer-denim-imposed shadows of his day job to create a wonderful pop record.
Hammond’s made it no secret that he’s attempted to contribute songs to past Strokes records and had just about all of them rejected. While the majority of Yours to Keep wouldn’t seem appropriate on any Strokes album, their loss is definitely his gain. His bandmates, however, did give their blessing and singer Julian Casablancas makes a guest appearance (as do Sean Lennon, Ben Kweller and others).
Throughout the nearly-40-minutes of bright, melodic and well-crafted devilry, Hammond runs the gamut of the musical spectrum. From the Beach Boys-esque “Cartoon Music For Superheroes” to The Cure-like “Everyone Gets a Star” to the near-alt-country of “Call an Ambulance” to the Brit pop of “Scared,” Hammond demonstrates his mastery through beautifully layered arrangements that flow exquisitely from point to point.
Surprisingly, it’s his songwriting and vocal ability that will turn the most heads. Less brooding than Casablancas, Hammond’s relaxed singing is more reminiscent of Jeff Tweedy or M. Ward rather than ‘70s NYC rock and will leave people wondering where he’s been.
While the mood of the music is breezy, the lyrics are darker and more serious than the atmosphere leads on: “By the way she looked/I should’ve calmed down/I went too far/Oh that’s all I got to say” Hammond sings during “In Transit” and during “Bright Young Thing,” he reveals “You’re pretty, won’t you come with me/This time I be nice/You can’t trust what I say to you/I know they’re all lies/Do you?”
Judging by the good-time horn outro of “Hard to Live in the City,” Hammond had quite a bit of fun making Yours to Keep. If The Strokes are to remain relevant and keep Hammond in their band, they might want to be more accepting when he brings his work to the table. Or maybe, it just might be better for all of us if he’s on his own.
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