The band that changed Albert Hammond Jr’s life
The Strokes have earned their place as true saviours of rock and roll. Nevertheless, the New Yorkers have often been associated with a certain degree of instability. Fortunately, guitarist Albert Hammond Jr has repeatedly assured that the prospect of the band’s dissolution is exceedingly unlikely.
As a guitarist for The Strokes, Hammond Jr plays a crucial role in shaping the band’s distinctive sound, characterised by catchy guitar riffs, energetic rhythms, and a raw, rock ‘n’ roll attitude. The Strokes, who gained widespread recognition with their debut album Is This It in 2001, followed it up with several successful records, including Room on Fire, First Impressions of Earth, Angles, Comedown Machine, and The New Abnormal.
In addition to his work with The Strokes, Hammond Jr has also released several solo albums, showcasing his own musical style and creativity. His solo work often explores a more diverse range of influences and personal expression than those within The Strokes. Typically, Hammond Jr is known for his distinctive guitar playing, and his contributions to The Strokes’ music have played a significant role in their lasting impact on the rock music scene.
In essence, The Strokes’ distinctive sound is imbued with fragments of earlier underground musical styles. Yet, there remains no uncertainty that the band spearheaded a revolution within the genre, catapulting indie rock back into prominence from its previous confines within niche realms.
Akin to numerous big names, the guitarist draws inspiration from a multitude of predecessors. When delving into his most profound influences, Hammond Jr attributes a life-changing impact to American indie rock band Guided by Voices – a band that, in his view, irrevocably altered his musical trajectory. However, explaining the precise reasons behind this transformation poses a challenge.
“Why?” he asked rhetorically. “There’s no answer for this kind of stuff. It’s like: why did you fall in love? Why did you do this? Who knows? If you could answer, you would probably disappear into the universe. I guess the whys for me are when there’s a gut feeling more powerful than language can describe.” One listen to the band would give you your answer, though. Guided by Voices became celebrated for their output of lo-fi and indie rock music, characterised by short song lengths, catchy melodies, and often cryptic or surreal lyrics. Sound familiar?
Like The Strokes, Guided by Voices garnered an appeal at the hands of Robert Pollard’s songwriting style, which became known for its brevity, quirkiness and depth. The band’s music is often associated with a DIY aesthetic and a disregard for traditional recording quality, which contributes to their distinctive sound.
Equally, one thing that sets The Strokes’ music apart is its raw nature: the beauty of repeated listens is that beneath the endearing arrangements and catchy melodies, there’s a poeticism there that many find hard to replicate. When creating Is This It, The Strokes specifically wanted it to feel like a band that had time travelled from the past to make a record, and in a lot of ways, that’s precisely what it is.
Interestingly, though, not all of Hammond Jr’s songs are reminiscent of his own sounds – when asked which song he’d wished he’d written, he answered Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’.
