Albert Hammond Jr., Islington Assembly Hall

Earlier this year, ahead of their reunion concerts, footage emerged that showed Albert Hammond Jr. looking distraught as his bandmate Julian Casablancas turned a Strokes song into a grinding funk jam. That split second reaction encapsulates the difference in their approach as solo artists. While Casablancas has plundered the far reaches of rock history to create something by turns inspired and excruciating, Hammond Jr. has stuck to the template established by 2001’s epoch-defining Is This It? And by hewing close to this defining style, he has created a more cohesive and approachable discography.
Now, with his third record Momentary Masters on the way, Hammond Jr. is visiting the Islington Assembly Hall. Expect the smooth, clean riffs that characterized his band’s early work, but with a gentler, more introspective edge that evokes the classic pop songwriting of Elvis Costello and Spoon. His is a taut, back-to-basics rock, of the sort that can win over devoted admirers with its earnest vocals and hummable melodies. When the dust from the Strokes gradual implosion has settled, it looks likely to be Hammond Jr. who carries the torch for their instantly recognisable sound.