The Deal: The Strokes’ guitarist releases sophomore solo album.
The Good: Not long ago, The Strokes were being raved about as they led the “garage rock revival” and everyone expected them to be the next Nirvana. Well, that didn’t happen, though the band has enjoyed some mild success. Hammond Jr. has penned a number of The Strokes’ songs, so it’s no surprise that he’s tried to do the solo thing. The disk isn’t far off from The Strokes’ sound, though Hammond Jr.’s guitar work is a little more prevalent. It’s still got an indie-garage feel to it and the focus isn’t on the vocals. He brings in some strings on “Lisa.”
The Bad: From the Beatles-esque “In My Room” to the musically quirky “Lisa,” Hammond sounds like he’s searching for an identity. Not that it’s a bad thing, but the album feels a bit disjointed. At times, the songs felt like they were dragging on – a lazy feeling like you weren’t getting anywhere, but not necessarily repetitive.
The Verdict: Fans of The Strokes and similar bands may enjoy it, but don’t expect hooks or catchy beats. Hammond Jr. is a little more straight-forward and less flashy.
This article appears in Jul 9-15, 2008.
