Albert Hammond, Jr.'s Name Game

08/18/08 5:07pm

by Cameron Gordon (CHARTattack)

For his second solo album, Albert Hammond, Jr. is trying to downplay the solo aspect and focus more on the traditional band dynamic. It's a bit of a strange move, considering the assumption that The Strokes guitarist is looking to branch out a bit, but it's based on Hammond's collaborative nature and appreciation for his fellow musicians.

"It's like the title of the album ¿Como Te Llama? — 'What's your name?,'" he says. "We were definitely going for a Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers approach and looking to demonstrate that these songs are a group effort and not just the handiwork of just one guy. Hopefully our listeners recognize that."

¿Como Te Llama? was written and recorded in the wake of Yours To Keep, Hammond's 2006 debut, and features 13 tracks of fuzz-tinged pop goodness. Hammond received plenty of help with the disc from current and former members of The Lemonheads, The Mooney Suzuki and Longwave, as well as Sean Lennon and Strokes drum technician Matt Romano. The songs demonstrate Hammond's knack for writing solid pop hooks that wouldn't sound out of place on a Strokes record, although Hammond concedes that he'd likely never even broach that concept.

"I'm so shy that I'd never even consider bringing most of my songs to The Strokes. Besides, if it's a song that is really that good, I'm gonna want to keep it for my own. And I think, in this case, I'm just lucky that I was able to assemble enough songs that seem to have a common sound and feel."

Hammond must feel pretty good about the reception to his new material thus far. The NYC release party for ¿Como Te Llama? attracted a bevy of famous friends, including Kirsten Dunst, former Smashing Pumpkin James Iha and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.

Hammond recently had to cancel tour dates in Australia and Japan due to a severe throat infection, but is hoping to tour North America in the fall. No Canadian dates have been confirmed, but Hammond hopes to hit the north by year's end to reconnect with his Canadian fans.

"Winnipeg was actually a highlight of the last arena tour that we completed with the Strokes," he comments when asked about his favourite Canadian city to play. "Great show, good food.

"It was one of those nights where everything just clicked. Wish we could plan those shows in advance."

If you're wondering about an ETA for a new Strokes disc, don't expect anything before late 2009 at the absolute earliest. Hammond says a tentative band meeting has been set for next spring. But even that seems uncertain.