Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 09/10/06
Label: Rough Trade

There's no logical reason to expect a good record from Albert Hammond, Jr. So what if you like The Strokes? Julian Casablancas writes pretty much all their songs, top to bottom. It's his band. On the face of it, Hammond is just some guy who made an interesting friend at school. A great guitarist he may be, but when great guitarists decide they're also great songwriters, it's usually time to fill your ears with cement.

After all that, allow us to drop a bombshell. "Yours To Keep" is pretty good. Another bombshell: some of it is very good. How could this happen? Well, one suspects Hammond has been doing a lot of watching and learning. One mentor is, of course, Casablancas. "101" in particular sounds like a lost Strokes tune, and throughout "Yours to Keep" Hammond fills songs with wiry melodies and piercing guitar lines just like The Strokes did back in the good old days.

The other mentor is Hammond's old man. Albert Sr. is, of course, a songwriter of fame and fortune, responsible for writing a slew of drive-time pop-rock anthems, including (hilariously) "The Air That I Breathe". A legacy to be shunned, you may think. But, cheesy as they may have been, Senior's songs were built on industrial-scale hooks and populist ambitions. Junior takes the hint: none of the songs on "Yours to Keep" lack a naggingly memorable chorus; none is remotely inaccessible; and none is less than excellently crafted.

The family dynasty is also reflected in the record's summery, West Coast feel and the soaring keyboards that drive songs like "Cartoon Music For Superheroes" and "Bright Young Thing". In fact, Hammond could definitely be charged with lack of originality, but at least the guy has taste: The Beatles are tapped for "Call An Ambulance" and "Blue Skies" , The Beach Boys and The Mamas & Papas elsewhere. What's more, Hammond can sing.

At times, you almost forget about his alma mater. Even when Casablancas appears to play bass and join backing harmonies on the brilliant "Scared", it doesn't stop the song departing from Strokes orthodoxy to embrace barbershop dynamics and Sonic Youthful guitar effects. None of the guests impose themselves actually. Sean Lennon plays bass here and there. Big deal.

Hammond embarked on his solo project because The Strokes rejected his songs for The Strokes. Were they wrong? Absolutely not. The Strokes are about one man's clarity of vision, and if he's lost his mojo of late, better to wait for him to get it back than franchise the thing out. No: Albert Hammond's solo outing grants us two worthwhile projects for the price of one muddled one. It's good news, and let's face it: nobody saw it coming.

    by Niall O'Keeffe