[Music Review] Albert Hammond Jr. - ¿Como Te Llama? (2008)

Albert Hammond Jr.
Genre : Indie Rock, Alternative
Based in : New York, US
Label : Rough Trade Records
Year : 2008
Rate : 8/10
Myspace






Ini adalah album penuh kedua dari gitaris The Strokes setelah album pertama Yours To Keep dirilis pada 2006. Dalam proyek solo-nya Albert Hammond Jr. membuat lagu, bergitar dan juga bernyanyi, yang entah disengaja atau tidak, gaya menyanyinya seolah malas-malasan seperti vokalisnya dalam The Strokes, Julian Casablanca. Walau demikian, song crafting skill dari Albert Hammond Jr. patutlah diacungi jempol. Aransemen yang dibuatnya memang terasa sedikit eksperimental, mungkin karena dia merasa lebih lepas di proyek solo-nya ini.

Beberapa lagu terasa sekali dibangun dengan pondasi permainan gitar Albert Hammond Jr. dengan rhythm khas-nya yang masih mengingatkan saya pada gaya permainannya di The Strokes. Sound yang dipilihnya pun masih sangat khas, distorsi yang scratchy ala garage, walaupun lagu yang ia bangun tidak lagi cocok disebut garage. The Boss Americana langsung menyodok perhatian begitu melantun di audio player. Kocokan gitar yang tegas, pendek-pendek dan seirama dengan gebukan drum menjadi daya tarik lagu ini. Picking gitar pada lagu ini juga saya rasa khas Albert Hammond Jr. Kemudian, lagu berjudul Rocket akan membuatmu terngiang-ngiang semalaman dengan nuansa psychedelic dan sound vocal yang dibuat agak mengambang, sedikit experimental.

Victory at Monterey juga menyuguhkan keunikan baru lagi, dengan verse yang plain, tiba-tiba mencolok di refrain. Spooky Couch lagi-lagi menjadi arena bereksperimen, dengan durasi 7 menit lebih dengan part berisi petikan-petikan gitar yang berulang-ulang sepanjang lagu tanpa vokal ini. Nuansa reggae dicampuradukkan dalam lagu Borrowed Time, terdengar melalui kocokan gitar putus-putus dan gebukan drumnya. He didn’t have such talent to sing in reggae although. G Up rasanya adalah lagu yang merepresentasikan musik yang paling sesuai untuk Albert Hammond Jr., lagu yang catchy dengan kocokkan gitar mendominasi lagu dan bass line yang driven, ditambah asupan denting piano yang memperkaya sound.

Albert Hammond Jr. memang sepertinya berupaya untuk bereksperimen dengan berbagai jenis musik, walaupun tidak terlalu jauh dari gaya khas dia sendiri. Beberapa lagu terdengar sangat menarik, namun ada juga yang terasa tidak cocok untuk Albert. However, this is his solo project, which he can make what he want to make, and he did it. Menarik juga untuk di koleksi die hard fans-nya The Strokes, buat bahan cerita-cerita, lumayan.
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This is the second full album of The Strokes’s guitarist, after the first album Yours To Keep released in 2006. In his solo project, Albert Hammond Jr. creating song, playing guitar and also singing, that I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not, his style of singing rather like lazy-rockish just like his vocalist in The Strokes, Julian Casablanca. Instead of that, song crafting skill by Albert Hammond Jr. deserved two thumbs up. Arrangement that he made indeed feels rather experimental, may be he feels much freely in his solo project.

Some tracks strongly seems like built based on guitar play. Albert Hammond Jr. still there with his characterized rhythm playing, that is reminds me of his guitar style in The Strokes. He still picked a very unique sound of his own, scratchy distortion that so-called garage, although songs he made are not well-suited again in garage term. The Boss Americana straightly stole my attention once played in my player. Strict guitar stroke, short and on the way together with the drum play being the excitement of this song. I thought guitar picking in this song also just so Albert Hammond Jr. Then track called Rocket gonna make your mind flowing with the tune all night, with psychedelic way and dreamy vocal sound, a little experimental.

Victory at Monterey presents another new unique, with a plain verse then straightly hook-up in refrain. Spooky Couch is the next experimental arena, 7 minutes long with guitar-picking part repeated all along in the whole this non-vocal song. Reggae tune put in mixture in Borrowed Time, as seen at stroked choppy guitar and drum beat. He didn’t have such talent to sing in reggae although. G Up is a song that represents must suited song for Albert Hammond Jr., a catchy song with guitar stroking in the whole song, driven bass-line and some piano click inside, enrich the sounds.

Albert Hammond Jr. is trying some experiments with some kind of music, although not very far from his recent style. Some tracks is very good, while some else seems does not for Albert Hammond Jr. However, this is his solo project, which he can make what he want to make, and he did it. Nice to collect this one if you are one of The Strokes die-hard fans, could be some stories with friends of yours, not bad. 

Review by : Jay

Track List
01. Bargain Of The Century
02. In My Room   *YouTube!*
03. Lisa
04. GFC   *YouTube!*
05. The Boss Americana
06. Rocket   *YouTube!*
07. Victory At Montery
08. You Won't Be Fooled By This
09. Spooky Couch
10. Borrowed Time   *YouTube!*
11. G Up   *YouTube!*
12. Miss Myrtle
13. Feed Me Jack, Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love

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