Album DescriptionAvailable in:
"¿Cómo Te Llama?" is the title of the second album of Albert Hammond Jr. The album has 13 tracks and was released on July 7, 2008 in the UK through Rough Trade and on July 8, 2008 in the US through Black Seal.
The title ¿Cómo Te Llama? is Spanish for How does call you? or, more loosely, "What is your name?".
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 64, based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
User Album Review
Don't let the name of Albert Hammond Jr's new album throw you – this is no folky latin offering. Drawing on his day job as guitarist in rock band The Strokes, this is a stylish, confident, eclectic album filled with whimsical rock, riffy guitars and strings.
Hammond is far from the latest to dabble in the current spin off and side project trend – this is his second solo album. Recorded, like the first, at New York's Electric Lady Studios, Hammond and his band spent just five days on the disc. The title may ask 'what's your name?', but he’s crystal clear on his own musical identity.
Album opener Bargain Of The Century gives a cheeky finger up to non-believers expecting a carbon copy of The Strokes' material. The first 30 seconds of soundalike intro squeals to a halt, revealing the main body of the song, which sounds a lot like Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.
There are times when his band's undeniable influence shows – You Won’t Be Fooled By This and Spooky Couch have their trademark echoey vocals and plinky guitar riffs. Hammond says The Kinks, The Clash and Neil Young inspired this disc, though there are a lot of original ideas and sounds on it. In My Room is a sing-along anthem to someone missed, while the album's highlight, GFC, summons up strains of long-term influence The Beach Boys and has already clocked up over 25,000 MySpace plays.
Reviewed by Sophie Bruce for bbc.co.uk
External Album Reviews
None...
User Comments