When most people think of The Strokes, they think of Julian Casablancas. He’s the face of the band, usually clad in a leather jacket, singing with his signature raspy and gnarled voice, emitting the cool essence of New York City’s Lower East Side. But when I think of The Strokes, I think of one thing and one thing only: Albert Hammond Jr. Known for his signature head of curls and clean and blues-y rhythm guitar, Albert is arguably the most underutilized member of this New York City band.
That’s why, when Albert announced in 2006, still amidst the peak of Strokes’ fame, that he’d be releasing a solo album, I sighed with relief. Ever since his near-perfect debut Yours To Keep, the guitarist has topped the short list of artists most consistently creating records every couple of years that remain masterful from beginning to end. Now, after a decade of releasing three successful solo albums and an EP, including his most recent, 2015’s utterly divine Momentary Masters, Albert has yet again proven that he’s the rock ‘n’ roll songwriter we all want and need with Francis Trouble.
Speaking with OC Weekly on the eve of Francis’ release, Albert revealed that “the purpose” of this most recent effort “was to put out a record that was visceral and guitar-driven, but also something that could fit in bigger rooms and arenas.” That visceral nature and guitar-driven quality are immediately evident in Albert’s ability to embrace intimate and heady themes but lighten them with lyrical wordplay and plucky guitars. Named for the stillborn child that would have been his twin had his mother not miscarried in 1979, Francis Trouble gives Albert room to breathe and experiment a bit more than he has in the past. Most succinctly, the record shows us a different side to the man inside while still clearly sounding very much like him.
The record’s singles “Muted Beatings” and “Far Away Truths” epitomize Albert through and through: a spunky voice echoing over an instantly memorable melody and the type of classic guitar riffs that make you want to sing them aloud. With the combination of danceable guitar and evocative lyrics such as, “Like a heartbeat under your shirt / Like a hard reach into the dirt / But I can’t breathe under your skirt,” it’s never a chore to give yourself away to the reality Albert constructs.
In “Muted Beatings,” his simple phrases paint incredibly vivid pictures with lines like “Now I’m waiting on something you said / Like a waitress, too good to forget / Like the words, sung over cassette.” Lyrical wordplay reaches its peak on “Strangers,” another catchy track that quickly becomes an earworm with its tongue-twisting turns of phrase: “Strangers / How strange the feeling to be strangers / Who strains the feeling? / We’re all strangers.” These moments, albeit sometimes nonsensical and fun, are Albert at his best.
Album opener “DvsL” features the guitarist embracing not only the blues-y rhythm guitar he perfected with The Strokes, but a song with a punky garage-band quality reminiscent of Jack White. Later on, “ScreaMER” evokes the former White Stripes frontman yet again with chord progressions that sound both rough and retro.
Female voices coo with distinct “ooh ooh’s” as Albert leans on the whammy bar, creating a slinky interlude; from top to bottom, it’s a sexy rock ‘n’ roll track. Jamming guitars and tormented lyrics like, “I don’t know what’s good for me / But can’t you tell / I’m living through an exile in hell / Upside down / Insides out,” evoke a cool edge. Writing more with a laid-back, jamming style than Albert’s usual perfectly-crafted pop song tendency still surprisingly works; the result is a livelier side to the guitarist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ykJow7p4yM
Never one too afraid of letting his emotional side see the light of day, Albert dives headfirst into darker, broody tracks—occasionally even vocally sounding a bit like his bandmate Casablancas. His voice on “Set To Attack” recalls Julian’s lazy drawl in “Someday,” but with moodier bass and a snappy snare drum. You can feel Albert’s strong sense of longing as he sings, “There is a need to feel safe / How did we get to this place?”
The darker tone trickles into the following song, “Tea For Two,” wherein hard bass and thumping drums awaken a melodically-perfect chorus. Despite heavy-handed lyrics reminiscent of Brandon Flowers’ songwriting – particularly the driving metaphors of “Brief collisions in the passing lane / Your turning signals light me up but nothing’s changed / Red tape, silver lines / Tough breaks, working overtime” – the track is memorable. It even has the guts to include a brassy sax outro that manages to feel more emotional than cheesy.
The record’s longest and best song, “Rocky’s Late Night,” hints at moody moments, but doesn’t wallow too much before introducing the only stand-out use of synth on all of Francis Trouble. Harmonizing voices quietly sing over a funky bass that dances its way along a solid kick drum, a brief breath for the otherwise driving guitar.
Most fittingly, on a song that feels most outside Albert’s wheelhouse, he repeats the phrase, “I’m not the same as I was before” and you can’t help but fall into the track’s overwhelming mood. “Harder, Harder, Harder” additionally toys with the guitarist’s awareness of growing old and his tendency to dip into nostalgia.
For those seeking Albert’s more traditional beachy-sounding pop songs, “Stop and Go” provides the soft and delicate vocals of Yours To Keep and Momentary Masters’ “Born Slippy.” The ease behind sentiments like “the summer breeze will take me soon” paired with dreamy and pop-like guitar plucks and metallic cymbal crashes prove that – when it comes to Albert’s songwriting – each instrument, riff, lyric, and moment is intentional. Every verse a painted picture, and every note a brushstroke.
Francis Trouble is the work of a man who not only understands the benefits of lyrical wordplay in songwriting, but is unafraid of keeping guitars front and center in rock music. Albert Hammond Jr. again confirms that his solo work stands above that of his peers; while others might hesitate in using the word “visceral” when talking about arena rock music, Albert doesn’t. If anything, he proves that a moody jam session can still have delicate tendencies. He’s not looking for trouble, he’s just having fun.
Album Highlights: “Muted Beatings,” “Rocky’s Late Night, “Two For Tea”
