‘Como te llama’ actually translates as ‘what is your name?’, or literally as ‘how do you call yourself?’, which is perhaps the more deep and probing question Albert Hammond Jr is asking with this album. The point is though that it’s nothing to do with a llama, rather disappointingly.Hammond Jr emerged from the still slightly smouldering wreckage of The Strokes, and indeed that era, as the successful, yet perhaps most unlikely solo artist. Despite having little song writing input, and being nothing more than a humble right hand man and guitarist to swaggering front man Julian Casablancas, Hammond Jr has since proved that his place centre stage is more than deserved.His first album, Yours To Keep, meant Albert Hammond Jr certainly set tongues wagging, and the hoards clamoured to see him in the US and UK. And so he returns with an even better album, that makes one wonder what he was doing in The Strokes in the first place.Como Te Llama is full of bluesy, upbeat, guitar-driven, accessible tracks. The songs are well crafted, and seep into the ears like the ketchup seeps out of a bacon sarnie. ‘Lisa’ begins with a deep, pulsating, grime-style bass and sweeps into a distortion laden, somewhat discordant, longing track for one lucky girl.This album has that amazing familiar quality that only great songwriters can achieve. On first listen the songs become instantly comfortable, and by second listen, this is an album that could’ve been listened to for years. Influences seem to swing from Nirvana, to Brit pop to the mellower, less pretentious side of The Strokes.‘Spooky Couch’ is a lovely instrumental interlude in the album that is as delicate as it is charming, almost sounding like a soundtrack to a children’s film. In contrast, the next track ‘Borrowed Time’ begins as a reggae track complete with scuzzy, offbeat guitars, and vocals that sound like they’re delivered through a megaphone, and then morphs into a cleaner, cheerful pop ditty, and then back again. Similarly, ‘G Up’ is also strongly influenced by Jamaican music, with guitars doing a sterling impression of steel drums.‘Feed Me Jack Or: How I Learned To’ rounds the album off nicely, and a change of direction again, as the previously ever-present guitars are granted, still present, but scurried into a corner by the rolling piano and strings on the verse. Come the chorus though, they’re out in full force, and as the middle eight slides into an overblown guitar solo, it’s clear Hammond Jr certainly wants to showcase his favourite instrument, and why not.So what does Albert Hammond Jr call himself? Well, a lot of things, and yet nothing in particular. Como Te Llama encompasses a huge variety of genres, sounds, and styles, but there’s no filler on this album ”“ the two years in the making seems Hammond Jr return stronger, better, and certainly more confident than his first outing. 80%Links Albert Hammond Jr [myspace]