Customer Reviews

Yours to Keep

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I dragged my wife to see Albert and company here in Portland OR, tempting her by telling her that he would surely play a Strokes tune or two. Well, by the end of the evening, the only non-original song played was a Frank Black ditty, and we never even noticed that every other song was off of his album.

My wife was so smitten, she made me buy the album yesterday - the first day in stores - to have on her iPod at work. His work is definitely more melodic and thoughtful than the Strokes. - (think sweet and sticky - but just enough to you keep you consuming, not caring that your teeth are rotting out of your head), yet there are enough Strokesy guitar riffs, staccato drum beats and rhythms that are just as difficult to shake out of your head as Strokes stand-bys "Someday", "Hard to Explain", "When it Started", "12:51", and "You Only Live Once".

While I don't take the 5 star rating lightly, this album will get plenty of play on my ipod as well and definitely deserves the stature that befits an outstanding solo debut - especially one that could easily be overshadowed or dismissed in favor of the genre defining Strokes.

I thought this was an excellent album. I am a big Strokes fan, but don't expect Strokes songs. Hammond Jr. goes out in a completely different direction than his efforts with the Strokes, and I feel he succeeded in Yours to Keep. I'm glad it's being released in the U.S. and not just the UK or Europe, as I feel it's definitely worth introducing to a wide audience. The only reason I know about the album is from being hooked on the songs from the rare Strokes DVD "In Transit", with the soundtrack written by Mr. Hammond himself.

It's a simple, melodic album, that isn't trying to prove anything. Some nice harmonies and hooks. It's hard to explain what's so good about it, just because it is so unimposing - in a good way. But you'll have the choruses in your head all day. Hammond's voice is surprisingly good, too - here he sounds exceptionally tender.

I also enjoyed the cameo from Sean Lennon in "Scared" [Julian Casablancas is also featured on this song, but you can barely hear him, although it's fun to try]. My personal favorites are "In Transit", "Everyone Gets a Star", "Hard to Live in the City" and "Scared".

The only complaint I have is the production is a little shoddy; once again I wonder why someone who has done time in a mega successful band didn't have the cash to fund a side project!

Albert Hammond Jr. is best known as as a valuable member of the Strokes. But don't let that influence your expectations for his solo debut "Yours To Keep." On his own, Hammond turns out a totally different album: a shimmering, creative little pop collection that dips into lean rock'n'roll and vintage sunny pop.

It starts on a note that's very Beach Boys -- sunny, psychedelic-edged, and slightly sleepy. "Goodnight, I said to you goodnight/Dream of all the impossible/And you wake you see/That all these dreams aren't fake/They're real/Not impossible," Hammond croons in a slightly sleepy voice.

All that changes with "In Transit," the most Strokesian of all the songs -- a peppy, uptempo guitar number with slightly rebellious lyrics. But with "Bright Young Things," the style switches back to a circling guitar melody and a sunny musical edge, some folksy ballads, catchy rockers that bloom into peppy pop, toe-tapping acoustic plucks, and ringing songs about vacations in Jamaica.

Despite the variety of styles, Hammond actually does a pretty good job keeping a signature "sound" in these songs -- something a bit happier and slightly wistful than the Strokes. It does have a bit of a split personality, between rock and sunny pop, but I suspect it's something that Hammond will iron out in future albums.

The music has plenty of guitar -- both acoustic and bass -- both in lean sinewy riffs and in circling melodies. But Hammond and a variety of musicians (including Sean Lennon, Julian Casablancas, Ben Kweller, and Sammy James Jr) wrap the songs in a thin layer of other instruments -- tinkly melodica, ukelele, rippling keyboard, and some brass. There's even whistling at one point.

Hammond's voice is kind of scratchy, but it's still pretty pleasant to the ear. And he throws a lot of passion into his singing, whether it's a murmury croon or a belt-out wail. "And you will only hold me/If I will never tell you it would end/And you will never have me/Cause you were only wanting to be friends/And you will always hold out till he gave out."

"Yours To Keep" is a triumph for Hammond -- a solid, shimmering album that straddles between pop and rock. Definitely a good listen, but not for people seeking another Strokes album.

I listen to the Strokes religiously, and I am such a huge fan. -This album was so not what I had excpected. It is a lot softer and more mellow than the strokes. Albert has such a great voice, again, not what I had expected. It's sort of "the Strokes meets the Shins" but better!! If you love Indie, buy this album! If you love the Strokes, buy this album and support the fellow bandmate Albert Hammmond Jr!!

Albert Hammond Jr. is "that other guy" to the Strokes lead singer Julian Casablancas, Hammond being the capable guitarist (and son of ...), but it's never been very clear how much he contributed to the Strokes' mysic (Casablancas writes all the lyrics). This album, Hammond's first solo outing away from the Strokes, brings perspective.

On "Yours to Keep" (12 tracks; 40 min.), the opener "Cartoon Music for Super Heroes" is like a blast from the 1960s Beach Boys. Upbeat "In Transit" is probably as close a Strokes song as anything on this album, and I love it. "Everyone Gets A Star" and "Bright Young Thing" are just about as good. "101" (1st single) is another one of those Strokes-sounding songs, and caps of an incredible first half of the album, which I rate 5 stars. The second half slows down considerably, although there as still some great moments like "Scared" (which features Julian Casablancas and Sean Lennon) and "Hard to Live in the City". The last 2 tracks of the album ("Postal Blowfish", which is just excellent, and "Well... All Right") are listed as "bonus tracks", but why is unclear to me, they simply sound like part of the album proper.

I have to admit that I really did not know what to expect from Hammond's solo debut, and I was very pleasantly surprised by this album. It flows by smoothly and at 40 min., it's over before you know it. One of the better surprises of the yeat so far for me.

I have got to seriously hand it to Albert on this one. I went into this with luke warm expectations of a strokes retread album. Instead I was left with a sense of optimism and genuine elation from this album. These are fantastically crafted songs. Catchy, well written, harmonious, and emotional. This albums does sound like the strokes a bit however. The trademark itchy guitar prevails but works nicely with Alberts monotone but surprisingly refined voice. There are several tracks that are fantastic on this one. This album seems best suited for listening to straight through while drinking a Papst Blue Ribbon and smoking a spliff with good friends on a breezy summer day. I'm sure that is what Albert and guest stars Julian Casablanca and Sean Lennon were doing while recording this splendid piece of work that will most likely be overlooked this year but will be revisited in the future by future hipsters.

I just received this gem of an album today and have already listened to it at least six times....yeah, it's that good! I am a huge Strokes fan, but never heard Albert speak or sing before, so I was a little wary of how his voice would sound, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by his great voice on every beautiful song on the album. After hearing this record, I think the Strokes should split up singing duties half/half on any future albums between Julian and Albert much like the Beatles did. Every song is a joy to listen to, but the one that will never leave my head is "Scared", which is nothing less than four minutes of pure heaven. If you have the chance to pick this album up, don't hesitate to do so-I promise you won't be disappointed.

I had been waiting for this album to come out for 7 months. It was every bit worth the wait, Albert is a great guy and this album is a really good reflection of him. True it does sound a bit Stroke-ish, but I LOVE The Strokes so I am not complaining. Who would??
I really enjoy the cd, I hear it every day. The day I bought it (release day) I came right home and put it into my itunes. My favorite song is "Scared" -Julian Casablancas and Sean Lennon on back up- I'm in my glory! So much of a good thing all in one place...I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM!

These days, there are very few albums that are worth going out and purchasing after they leak on the internet. This album is definitely one of them.

I downloaded most of the album before going to see Albert and his band open up for Incubus two nights in a row at the Wiltern in Los Angeles just to get a feel for what he sounds like. I was pleasantly surprised...usually solo projects don't sound at all like the original band, take Sting for example. But many of the songs on this album are very "Strokes-y", with Hammond Jr.'s signature guitar sound at the forefront.

Anyways, I would highly recommend buying this album if you are fond of any of the Strokes' material. Albert's voice even somewhat resembles that of Casablancas, so you kind of feel like you're listening to the same band.

Highlights are "Holiday", "Scared", and the brilliant "101" (the album's 1st single) which, in my opinion, is one of the best songs of 2007 so far.

I don't normally review items, but with the amount of terrible music being passed off as "brilliant" these days, I consider it my duty to tell the world about this album. This is what I call good music. Now I didn't discover The Strokes until last year (2010) and since then, I've been hooked. But after I had purchased all of their albums, I found myself wanting more (especially since "Angles" was a major disappointment with only two good songs and the rest only existed to pay homage to the 80's - the worst decade for music...ever). I had heard about the solo albums of members from The Strokes; so I checked them out. Julian's was a disappointment, but to my surprise Albert's sounded really good and that's why I'm here.
Compared to his work with The Strokes, some may say it's overly produced, too happy sounding, corny, etc. But I don't care - I never hear anyone saying that about The Beatles and they invented the idea of over-producing music. Having some nice polished - halfway optimistic tunes isn't a bad thing when you've got the creativity to back it up with a unique approach and that's what this album has. I suggest that you preview "Bright Young Thing", "Call an Ambulance", and "Hard To Live In The City".