Albert Hammond Jr.

[4.5/5]

Saturated with ultra-fuzzy rock pizzazz and crystalline song structure, ¿Cómo Te Llama?, the sophomore solo effort from Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., is the breath of fresh air that rock aficionados have longed for, as well as that proverbial sigh of relief for decriers of thrilling music in the new millennium. There’s an unmitigated excellence to Hammond Jr.’s songwriting permeating every pore on the gently lulling “Lisa” and the intoxicating lilt to the chorus on “GFC.” Listeners to Hammond Jr.’s debut album, Yours To Keep, will find similarities (like the album opener “Bargain Of A Century”), but the maturity evident and the sticky-sweet zing brought on by the ’70s pub-rock-peppered “The Boss Americana” make ¿Cómo Te Llama? an easygoing and positively electric listen. There’s a fine line to toe between vintage rock revision and progressive insight-Hammond Jr. has mastered the balance. (RCA) Ryan Prado