Charlotte Hatherley
Grey Will Fade

THE REVIEW

The debut album for the talented (and beautiful) guitarist of Ash, who already showcased intriguing and fresh songwriting on some of the Northern Irish band’s b-sides, aided by the accompaniment of Tim Wheeler & co. Naturally, her solo ambitions have remained rather overshadowed within the group, and the opportunity to make a record on her own has represented a great chance not to be missed for the attractive Charlotte, also exploiting the lull the band is experiencing (evident in the latest, disappointing, "Meltdown").
“Grey Will Fade", released last August, turned out to be a decent indie success, but more importantly, Hatherley has laid the foundations for a musically promising growth: like a British Melissa Auf Der Maur, the guitarist focused on almost always direct and fun compositions, somewhat like the early Elastica, with raw yet catchy arrangements, playing with the punk and new wave imagery without falling into the typical caricatures of the so-called 'rriot girls' of the '90s.

In the end, the album captivates with the charm and sensuality that Hatherley manages to infuse into almost all the tracks, making a virtue of necessity and containing some technical and vocal shortcomings with sharp, provocative, and intimate lyrics surely inspired by models of other frontwomen from the recent past of English pop: Justine Frischmann, Louise Wener of Sleeper, Donna Matthews. At times, it even echoes the acoustic melancholies of Cat Power.
Noteworthy definitely is the opening "Kim Wilde", a power pop tribute to a teenage idol of our heroine, with nods to the tougher Police and Bowie's "Aladdin Sane"; the sparkling pop song "Summer", the first single extracted, seems really like an unreleased Ash track and strikes with its casual juxtaposition of Pixies, Bangles (!), and Elastica in the chorus; Pixies flavor again in the calmer "Rescue Plan" while vocals dominate in the more sophisticated "Down"; "Stop" is a roar halfway between Sonic Youth (sounds like Kim Gordon!) and Smashing Pumpkins; "Where I'm Calling From" is a pseudo-psychedelic ballad that would chart if it were sung by, say, Bjork; "Bastardo" is another entertaining punk-pop number; in the concluding track, the title track, the interplay between acoustic and electric guitars is highlighted, somewhat reminiscent of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

A fresh, vibrant, and sexy album recommended for spending a pleasant hour in the company of this budding punk lolita: Ash can still wait.