Melodies on Hiatus

説明不要!アルバート・ハモンドJrの最新作!!
THE STROKESのギタリスト、兼ソロ・アーティストでも活躍のアルバート・ハモンドJrによる約5年ぶり、通算5作目となるアルバム『MELODIES ON HIATUS』がリリース!GoldLink、Steve Stevensなどなど豪華アーティストも参加。今作もメロディアスな楽曲が最高で、1曲目から「アルバート・ハモンドJr節」炸裂!今作も期待通り、、、!!!!

ザ・ストロークス のギタリストアルバート・ハモンドJr.による最新ソロ・アルバム！

On Melodies on Hiatus, Albert Hammond, Jr. builds on Francis Troubles soul-baring mood by finding some new wrinkles on his eloquent guitar pop -- and maybe some gray hairs, too. Fatherhood and the COVID-19 global pandemic spurred him to think about the past in new ways, and its a viewpoint thats well-suited to the world-weary undercurrents of the music hes made since the early 2000s. At first, his meditations on days gone by are breezy: Buoyed by a sprightly guitar riff, "Old Man"s look at Hammonds father from a different perspective ("dont you know the tables turn on you when you get old?") is a cheeky highlight, while the line he draws between then and now for an old flame on "Darlin" is as firm as the melody is catchy. As the album unfolds, however, Hammond lets the cracks in the facade show. "Dead Air" fights against ennui and meaninglessness over chiming and choppy guitars; "False Alarm" starts out as naively chugging, 90s-indebted pop, but as Hammond sings about "a loneliness inside," it morphs into a searching piano ballad. When Melodies on Hiatus echoes his work with the Strokes, it reads like additional commentary on the pasts inextricable bonds. "Thoughtful Distress," which features Arctic Monkeys Matt Helders and Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, feels like a more personal update of the dark, new wavey drama of his other band, as does "Caught by Night," though that songs serpentine guitar is accompanied by some decidedly non-Strokes-sounding hand drums. Indeed, the albums greatest strength is that while it may be rooted in the past, its not stuck there. With Momentary Masters and Francis Trouble, Hammond seemed to favor more concise releases, but Melodies on Hiatus is a generous 19 tracks long. Its also bookended by a pair of songs that sound little like anything hes done before. The opening track, "100-99," honors Hammonds lifelong love of hip-hop by seamlessly fusing his brooding reflections with a slinky beat and GoldLinks bars, but the album goes much farther afield with "Alright Tomorrow." A yacht rock-meets-disco odyssey with Rainsford on lead vocals, its an uplifting but somewhat bewildering finale. Hammond also collaborated with poet Simon Wilcox on the albums lyrics, and she helps him distill complicated feelings into lines as graceful as "Libertude"s declaration of love ("I needed you to be the edge I held onto") and as relatable as "818"s frustration over a friend whos moved on to a new crowd ("why do I have to see them to see you?"). Though Melodies on Hiatus experiments sacrifice some of the single-minded purpose of Hammonds previous albums, it delivers a bumper crop of songs that embrace the complexities of life and music with a sense of adventure. ~ Heather Phares

ストロークスのなかではジュリアンと並んでソロに精力的なAHJ。インディーの旨味に溢れた過去作は、前衛趣味を押し出すフロントマン以上に、本隊の魅力を素直に反映していたわけで、この5作目も快活なロック盤だ。ゴールドリンク客演という新味はあるものの、甘酸っぱいパワー・ポップ・サウンドが基調で、特にブリーチャーズっぽさもある "Never Stop"が良い。
bounce (C)田中亮太

2018年作『Francis Trouble』から5年振りの5TH完成。GoldLink、Steve Stevens、Matt Helders、Rainsfordら豪華参加作。サイモン・ウィルコックスとの共作で、トニー・ホッファー(Beck, Air, M83, Metric, Chromeo)がミックス、Dave Cooley(Paramore, Spoon, Tame Impala, Jimmy Eat World)がマスタリングを担当。ストロークスの活動と共に2000年よりソロ作も発表してきた彼のギタリスト/SSWの欲求ではない茶飯事なる録音物が本作。メロディアスでチルでロックな名盤。ええやんええやん。
intoxicate (C)黒田"ハイプ"朋規