Albert Hammond Jr.

When I first went to hit play to listen to ¿Cómo Te Llama?, all I was expecting was another boring, lazy-Sunday record like Yours To Keep. I actually liked Albert Hammond, Jr.’s first solo record but I always felt it had its specific time and place. So, to be greeted by a guitar riff and drumbeat a little more reminiscent of the Strokes was a bit of a surprise. Album opener "Bargain of the Century” does take a slower turn during its verses but Hammond manages to keep the pace more like Is This It than his former solo self. "Victory at Monterey” is the definite album standout, with "GFC” coming in a close second, both for the simplicity that makes them unforgettably charming. ¿Cómo Te Llama? makes you start to wonder why we needed the rest of the Strokes at all. That is, until you remember "Last Nite.” But Hammond does make you forgot the night before, if only for a moment.