Albert Hammond Jr. Most of you know him for his rivetingly playful guitar solos, his delightful line of suits, and him being a principle member to The Strokes, but you probably aren’t too familiar with his solo work. Seeing as the summer months are soon (and for some, now) upon us, his warm guitar work and relaxing sound seem perfectly fit for the time.
From the very first track of Yours to Keep—Hammond’s first solo album—you can tell that this isn’t going to be another Strokes album. While the familiar playful guitar riffs are present on all of the tracks, the general tone and mood of the album is far less aggressive and more relaxed than his previous outings. The closet he comes to returning to the style is on “In Transit”—a track so delightfully catchy and playful that it practically demands to be played on repeat over summer.
More demonstrative of the more relaxed style found on Yours to Keep is “Call An Ambulance.” With a slow, deliberate beat throughout, the track feels less like rock and more like pop. The guitar work—paired with bridges of whistling and vocal harmonies—evokes memories of warm days by the poolside.
The sunny-pop continues on album bonus-track (for the U.S. and Canadian releases, anyways) “Well…All Right.” The track begins with some playful percussion which builds into some relaxed guitar strumming and vocal harmonies. It’s truly a fantastic track, and much like every track on the album—it feels perfect for a sunny day at the beach.
Yours to Keep can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, or (hopefully) wherever music is sold.
Albert Hammond, Jr. – In Transit
Albert Hammond Jr. – Call An Ambulance
Albert Hammond Jr. – Well…All Right
[via ThisBonusTrack.com]
