March 7th–March 13th, 2019 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | musiC | CAFe | FILm | CULtURe | nIght+DAy | FeAtURe | neWs | oPInIon | FeeDBACK | Contents | 34 Francis Forever The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. reaches a new high By Chris Coplan T here are certain luxuries af- forded a member of a big-time rock band. People tend to heap praise indiscriminately at your feet, and the frequent- flier miles must be nice. However, there comes a time when art- ists grow tired of a group’s insular nature, or seek fame and freedom on their own terms. Yet for every shimmering star (Peter Gabriel, Gwen Stefani), there’s a rocker whose solo career never quite breaks the atmosphere (Peter Criss, Billy Corgan). Albert Hammond Jr. isn’t exactly a Hol- laback Girl, but he’s certainly no slouch. Best known as the rhythm guitarist for The Strokes, Hammond has spent much of the last decade building his own brand. He’s toured the world several times, played in- ternational festivals, and released a hand- ful of well-received albums. While he may never fully escape the confines of Strokes- dom (or even dare dream of it), Ham- mond’s output is the groundwork on which lasting careers are made. Perhaps it’s telling that Hammond was among the first of his bandmates to so go solo. From note one, 2006’s Yours to Keep sets Hammond apart from his musical brethren with a decidedly lush sound, in- fusing the fresh influence of The Beach Boys and John Lennon to skirt away from that early Strokes swagger in favor of en- dearing, ’70s-leaning pop (with plenty of kickin’ guitar solos packed in). Two years later, in 2008, Hammond re- turned with ¿Cómo Te Llama?, which ex- panded his already eclectic approach (bits of reggae, Marc Bolan-esque jams, the dis- tilled vigor of The Knack) to further solid- ify the idea of his viability as a true-blue solo star. Hammond wouldn’t return with an- other solo LP until 2015’s Momentary Mas- ters (blame an extended Strokes run). Here, he sought to recapture something es- sential from The Strokes’ early days, a pas- sion and playfulness that exemplified their sound. The record is a flag waving us to- ward a rose-colored past. It’s that trajectory that makes Ham- mond’s fourth record, 2018’s Francis Trou- ble, all the more intriguing. The LP is named after his unborn twin, Francis, a personal discovery made right around the time he underwent therapeutic “shadow work” to address past traumas (which took the form of an “unnurtured child,” as he told Rolling Stone). Connecting those kin- dred emotional experiences, Hammond crafted an album contemplating that pre- carious ley-line between life and death. It’s the emotional high-point of Ham- mond’s career, an exploration of identity through a maze of existential uncertainty and spiritual baggage. Sonically speaking, it belies such cerebral wanderings, a blast of all-out rock goodness, equal parts me- lodic and charming, brash and bratty. In a way, he’s come full circle, stitching to- gether his cool-guy origins and penchant for earnestness. It’s an album that feels stuck not in a singular moment but inter- ested in singular truths about life and death and everything between. If Hammond has any lineage with other solo sensations, it’s certainly Graham Parker. (Though, technically, Parker was always the giant star shining in a sky held up by The Rumour.) Both are chameleons, constantly layering and discarding influ- ences and ideas to fit a given album’s mood and scope. Both have experienced com- mercial success, but that celebrity has never shifted the focus away from the work at hand. And while the pair aren’t nearly as celebrated as their respective counterparts (eat your heart out, Julian Casablancas), it’s the savvy consumer that knows the true value of the wayfaring troubadour and his magical power-pop. Hammond’s extended solo tour will be broken up this year as The Strokes plot their “2019 global comeback.” Those dates are bound to draw big crowds, furthering the career of a juggernaut of 2000s indie rock. But AHJ is equally astonishing on his own — just a man, a guitar, and a dream. Oh, and plenty of tasty hooks, too. albert hammond Jr. 7 p.m. Thursday, March 7 at Crescent Ballroom, 308 north second avenue; 602-716-2222; crescentphx. com. Tickets are $18.75-28 via Ticketfly. | soundcheck | t Music Courtesy of Autumn de Wilde Albert hammond Jr. has built a brilliant solo career in the shadow of The strokes.
