Hanni El Khatib returns with the sprawling but hit-and-miss Savage Times

A San Francisco-based musician with Palestinian and Filipino parents, and a penchant for both classic rock n’ roll and rhythm and blues, eclectic sounds and themes make their way into his songs – and his latest 19-track record Savage Times is not free from these contrasts.

First track "Baby’s OK" crashes in as a Strokes-influenced two and a half-minute, light-hearted clanger, which seems to be about annoying his girlfriend by getting too high. But the album takes a more aggressive, thrashy and serious turn with "Born Brown" and "Mangos and Rice", two tracks that seem to tackle the singer’s lack of control over his cultural identity.

Then weaved into the record are softer, disco-inspired songs like "Paralyzed", which fittingly seem to reference softer feelings too – it’s technically a love song, granted “You came all over me / like a ton of bricks” is hardly a subtle portrayal of infatuation. "Gun Clap Hero" is also an overt critique of US gun culture – but to a chirpy, tame rock riff. Jazz piano makes its way into the slower "Black Constellation", showing the range of influences El Khatib has squeezed into the album.

These dichotomies make Savage Times an unexpected listen but also an incongruous one. With 19 very different tracks to get through, listeners jump from track to track sporadically without getting the chance to explore each one properly, and as a result it feels a little long.

But what El Khatib excels at is creating tracks about personal, serious stuff without a hint of floweriness and soppiness – taking inspiration from The Strokes and The Black Keys, the album exposes everything from dysfunctional relationships through to conflicting cultural identities in a brash, in-your-face, real way with candid lyrics. And with the contrast in musical influences, there are tracks to suit whether you like jazz piano riffs or thrashy rock guitar. Listeners may not like the whole album – but they’ll almost definitely love it in parts.