Como Te Llama?

A big part of what made Albert Hammond, Jr.'s first solo album, Yours to Keep, such a pleasant surprise was that it sounded like a lively working holiday right after the Strokes' albums were beginning to sound like a job for the band. And because Yours to Keep was such a pleasant surprise, expectations were higher for its follow-up, ¿Como Te Llama? Maybe it's just coincidence -- or the fact that a couple more years passed since First Impressions of Earth was released -- but ¿Como Te Llama? sounds a lot more like a Strokes album than Yours to Keep did. A few songs, like "G Up" and "Miss Myrtle," have the happy-go-lucky, Beach Boys-meet-Guided by Voices pop whimsy of Hammond's debut, but he spends most of the album tracing the sound of his day job. That's not necessarily a bad thing: "In My Room" boasts the same contrast between aggressive playing and flowing, almost soft melodies that make the Strokes so great when they're at the top of their game. "The Boss Americana," which intersperses choppy verses with fluid choruses, would be a standout on an album released by Hammond or his main band. Hammond sounds like he's channeling Julian Casablancas' world-weary Noo Yawk rasp on "Borrowed Time"'s vocals, while its angular riffs and rhythms nod to Spoon and Elvis Costello. "Victory at Monterrey," which pairs a disco-tinged beat with spring-loaded riffs, serves as one of many reminders on ¿Como Te Llama? of what an entertaining and distinctive guitarist Hammond is (the searing solo on "GfC" is another one). Obviously, Hammond -- along with the rest of the guys in his band -- has more right than most of the acts who copy the Strokes to borrow that sound, as well as more finesse with it. Actually, it's when Hammond ventures further from this territory that ¿Como Te Llama? sags a little. The '50s-inspired melodies on "Rocket" and "You Won't Be Fooled by This" don't sound as fresh as they did on Yours to Keep, and some of the breakup ballads are a little too indulgent for their own good. However, "Feed Me Jack or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Peter Sellers" is one of the album's most charming and affecting songs despite its mouthful of a title. Some of ¿Como Te Llama?'s individual songs are stronger than the material on Hammond's debut, but as a whole, it's a shade less engaging than Yours to Keep -- though it's still enjoyable enough to please most Strokes fans.