Albert Hammond Jr - ¿Como Te Llama?

After hearing “Bargain of a Century” the first track off of Albert Hammond Jr’s second solo album, ¿Como Te Llama? you can tell things are going to be much different. It’s true “Bargain of a Century” could be a cut from Yours To Keep, but here everything sounds much fuller and stronger. From Hammond Jr.’s vocals to the added keyboards to even his own guitar playing. Although it is a solo effort, he is quick to thank his band who helps him come into his own and keep him from becoming a Strokes side project.

Hammond Jr. strays away from the cutesy aspects that worked so well before like Fischer Price style keyboards, handclaps and whistling to focus on rocking. “In My Room” has a little feedback and a lot of piano which frames Hammond Jr.’s wail of “I miss you already” perfectly. Picking “GfC” with its killer guitar solo and shout along chorus as the first single seems like the perfect choice to show off his broad appeal.

He touches on a 70s rock (“The Boss Americana”), uses some country style guitar picking (“Miss Myrtle”) and gets a little reggae on “Borrowed Time”. Besides having the longest title ever, “Feed Me Jack: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Peter Sellers” shows that Hammond Jr. can slow things down. A slow and steady lullaby beat paired with ghostly vocals makes this song sort of haunting. He slows things down again on “You Won’t Be Fooled By This” using strings and a sweet series of “ooo’s”, but manages to pick things up with the funky beat of “Victory at Monterey.”

At 7:18, the instrumental “Spooky Couch” becomes his magnum opus. It starts off with the guitar as he slowly but surely adds in piano (courtesy of Sean Lennon) and strings. Each piece seems to figure in at just the right time and makes you wonder who will be the first filmmaker to ask Hammond Jr. to score their film.

Label: Black Seal
Release Date: 7-08-08

- Shannon Carlin