Momentary Masters

Albert Hammond, Jr.'s solo career has evolved over the years, moving from the almost accidental brilliance of Yours to Keep to the sharp focus of the AHJ EP. Momentary Masters is his finest work since his debut, albeit for very different reasons; here, Hammond, Jr. builds on AHJ's clarity in ways that feel equally deliberate and fresh. As on that EP, he reunites with producer Gus Oberg and riffs on the sound he made famous with the Strokes: "Losing Touch" is a piece of irresistible new wave guitar pop that would be a standout with his other band, while "Born Slippy" (not a cover of the Underworld classic) chugs along on spring-loaded riffs and surprisingly graceful melodies. While there's always been a bittersweet undercurrent to his music, Hammond, Jr.'s songwriting is more distinctive and poignant than ever on Momentary Masters. These portraits of loss and change have a newfound urgency, thanks to their restless arrangements and nervy vocals, whether the mood is melancholic, as on "Coming Getcha"'s emotional gridlock, or confrontational, as on "Caught by My Shadow" and "Touche," which boasts the bon mot "Now that we're not perfect, we have to be good." Hammond, Jr. even puts his own stamp on one of the great farewell songs, Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice," by giving it an insistently swinging beat and fuzzed-out guitar solos that add an extra sting to its prickly goodbye. Touches like these make Momentary Masters some of the most accessible and personal music of Hammond, Jr.'s career, with or without the Strokes. ~ Heather Phares

ストロークスのギタリストによるソロ3作目。酒とドラッグ依存の問題を抱えて2008年の前作以降はリハビリに励み、2013年のEPを経て本格的に新しい船出を飾った一枚と言えよう。自身のスタジオでの録音ということもあって、パワー・ポップ/ガレージ・ロック的な音を核にいろいろなアイデアを自由に試した、という感じのヴァラエティー豊かな作風だ。近年のNYインディー・シーンと呼応するような雰囲気も良し。
bounce (C)吾郎メモ