- Critic score
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Alternative PressThere's a fine line between vintage rock revision and progressive insight--Hammond Jr. has mastered the balance. [Aug 2008, p.170]
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The album is filled with big guitar noise and mildly incongruous but not unpleasant mixtures of modern riffs ("Rocket"), new wave basslines ("Victory at Monterey") and retro hooks and melodies ("Miss Myrtle").
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Working more closely with his band, Hammond has given his songs more dimension, and the ambition.
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FilterHere and there the noodling is drawn-out and the point could be gotten-to quicker, but this mishmash--reggae, rock, and jazz, for instance--shows Hammond exploring and stretching his own bounds as a songwriter and drummer Matt Romano as producer. [Summert 2008, p.96]
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Hammond's lyrics and vocals aren't as distinctive as those favored by Strokes singer Julian Casablancas, but the guitarist's music breathes in ways Strokes songs don't.
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While at times ¿Cómo Te Llama? might feel as though it's fallen through a timewarp from the late 60s/early 70s, it's not afraid to jump around within this, from raw garage rock to deeper, darker blues.
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The only criticism is that the lyrics fail to make the impact implied by titles like ‘Feed Me, Jack; Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love’. That aside, this is an unexpected delight.
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For guitarheads, Como Te Llama makes for a nifty Fender Stratocaster tonal demo. For more general fans, it’s a relaxingly unfocused but usually enjoyable effort.
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On the whole, Cómo's not a weaker album than "YTK," but it sounds like it's overcompensating for its likely increased exposure.
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It's another solid collection that echoes his day job from an artful distance.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 11 out of 12
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Mixed: 0 out of 12
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Negative: 1 out of 12
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Nov 3, 2010