Albert Hammond Jr.

Hammond's pair of solo LPs -- both of which have been issued since the last Strokes effort -- are amiable affairs that draw from a wider pool of influences than his band does. Although this is a bit rougher around the edges than Yours To Keep, the guest rosters lend both the feel of easygoing collaborative sessions. He even explores a bit of reggae on "Borrowed Time." Of course, the scruffy power pop tunes are the most lived-in, with songs like "GfC" and "In My Room" employing his sandpaper vocals in homage to his two biggest idols, Bowie and (solo) Lennon.

It must be a challenging time to be a Stroke. Since the band first spearheaded a garage-rock
revival in the early '00s, indie-rock fans have turned toward groups like Vampire Weekend
and Animal Collective, who canoodle with folk, world music and various sorts of
experimentalism. On his second solo record, guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. hedges his bets
with familiar guitar-pop exercises alongside tracks that find him stretching into u... More >