Because it's extra indie to have a side-project...

On today's mix...
Albert Hammond Jr. - ¿Cómo Te Llama? (2008)
Shearwater - Rook (2008)

Being the Strokes' second guitarist and having never dated Drew Barrymore, Albert Hammond Jr. would probably be the band's most obscure member were it not for his recent solo output following the band's post-Impressions hiatus. Though Julian Casablancas has always been the lead songwriter for the band, Hammond's solo records indicate that, despite his seemingly slight duties for the Strokes, his contributions to it are perhaps the most critical in defining their sound. Which is to say, on a superficial level, ¿Cómo Te Llama? sounds like (if you will) classic Strokes material--the sound that made their debut so much fun and the rest so much less exciting.

However, the record also highlights what Julian Casablancas brings to the Strokes: songwriting and vocal presence. Hammond here almost never achieves much more than ambient Strokes noise here, and even the album's most delightful songs ("Victory at Monterey" and "G Up") still aren't quite up to par with that band's material. The only song here that really breaks away from the Strokes b-side flow is the instrumental "Spooky Couch", which is lovely but, indeed, as much of a throwaway as its title would imply.

Speaking of lovely throwaways, Shearwater has made a whole album of them. Shearwater boasts Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff and recently exited member Jonathan Meiberg, who takes on lead singer/songwriter duties here; but despite the talent onboard, the band never achieves any sort of distinction from its influences. It's difficult to listen to this album and hear much more than a little Sigur Ros here, some Arcade Fire there, and a whole lotta Talk Talk. They're all bands worth emulating, but Rook never merges them into anything particularly fresh or exciting. The key element in songs like these is restraint, but by album's end, Shearwater don't sound like they have anything left to hold back. In the end, Rook feel like more of an exercise in style than a full-fledged album. It goes through all the motions--and well--but it's never particularly satisfying.

¿Cómo Te Llama?: 4/10
Rook: 5/10