By Dan Gayle
Associate Editor

My roommate has this thing for the Strokes, and for the life of me I can’t understand it. This review isn’t about them.

But my roommate’s devotion to that band has accidentally introduced me to their guitarist, Albert Hammond, Jr., and his new solo album Yours to Keep, released March 3 on Scratchie/New Line Records.

It’s one of those happy incidents where you discover something new, something you never would have thought you liked. He brought me to Hammond’s recent show at the Crocodile Café, and lo-and-behold! It was amazingly good! It’s now a few weeks later, but Hammond’s record is still spinning in my CD player.

Don’t tell my roommate, but it’s actually better than any of the music put out by the Strokes. Unlike the band’s vocalist Julian Casablancas, who couldn’t sing his way out of a paper bag, Hammond’s lyrics are actually interesting and discernible. (That’s probably because he likes to sing into a microphone, rather than stick-the-mic-into-your-mouth-style, à la Casablancas.) He even manages to maintain a healthy amount of melody to boot.

In fact, a large portion of the album contains snatches of Hammond’s obvious devotion to the Lennon/McCartney brand of melody, something that has been sorely misplaced in most 21st century rock ’n’ roll. The chorus of the song “Blue Skies” manages to deftly appropriate the four-note riff off of the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down,” respectfully and tastefully.

Overall, the songwriting is top-notch, with plenty of variation in instrumentation, arrangement, and production. Each song on Yours to Keep occupies its own space in a pleasant manner, leaving you looking forward to each chorus, transition, and verse.

Boiling it down, you need to ask yourself two things: Do you like lyrics that are original and discernible? How about melodies that are hummable and catchy? If so, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Albert Hammond, Jr’s Yours to Keep. You won’t be disappointed.