Albert Hammond Jr. "Yours to Keep" (New Line)
By
Friday. Mar 02, 11:57 AM
Breaking the age-old adage.

When I first heard about The Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.’s debut, I, much like you, had my skepticisms. Could it live up to what it promises? We all know that most solo albums try so very hard but just can’t get past the fact that the sum is greater than the parts. But hope drives us on: maybe this time – just maybe – someone will break the age-old adage. If ever there was such a time, this would be it. Albert has done the inconceivable: he has managed to pull himself outside of the colossal shadow of his band and created an album that is just as amazing as his work with the boys.

On Yours to Keep, he straddles his hometown influences as if he was the impetus of the “New York Sound.” Every note has a hint of his earlier work. It is hard not to draw comparisons to The Strokes, but Albert does an amazing job distinguishing his new material to make it just as relevant. The vocals are dry and compelling; they would sit well on any Interpol release. The instrumentation is derived but creative: think TV On The Radio meets The Beatles.

Sometimes hype can ruin an album or, in some cases, completely discredit an artist. I know the hype for this album has been brewing for a while now. I can truly say that, at least in my humble opinion, Albert Hammond Jr. does not disappoint. This is a good album and can easily stand on its own.
www.newlinerecords.com

Listen to a song from this album in our Radio section!

Click here to buy this album on iTunes!

Click here to download the iTunes jukebox application for Macintosh or Windows!

Scott Conine

Got something constructive to say? By all means, rant away. Gonna blab about something unrelated and/or talk shit? Don't expect your comment to stick around.