•
Rating:
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.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Kim Wilde (04:20)
He looks so good, my honey to me
Everything I want everything I need
We got a good thing going,
Feeling in my heart should only keep on growing
Too good to be true
Chequered love got me thinking of
All the mess I made, just a ton of trouble
Always left bad blood
When I was a kid in America
Pulling it apart
Can I keep it under control?
I could never keep my eyes on the road for long enough to know, oh
Ain't it true, always looking out for something better than you choose
Pulling it apart
A siren for you baby
Taking over now I feel you
Taking over now I want you
Lying on a bed of roses
In a sea of broken arrows (you can do it you can make it happen)
I can feel my honey, oh yeah!
Don't fall under my wheels
Run over, just like a juggernaut
Oh yeah! send his body back to me
Jump-start heart, now don't fall apart
I gotta get it right, so tell me
Killer what you got?
Don't wanna blow it cos I know just what
I hold in my hands
Parted lips never tell me to go
I wanna do you right, never be another like you I know, oh
Ain't it true, always looking out for something better yeah you are
Pulling it apart
A siren for you baby
Taking over now I feel you
Taking over now I want you
Lying on a bed of roses
In a sea of broken arrows (you can do it you can make it happen)
I can feel my honey, oh yeah!
Don't fall under my wheels
Run over, just like a juggernaut
Oh yeah, send his body back to me
Pick him up and sew him up and send him to me
Fix him up and shake him up and send him to me
Pick him up and sew him up and send him to me (pulling it apart)
Fix him up and shake him up and send him to me (pulling it apart)
Taking over honey I can feel it in me (send him back to me)
Fix him up and send him to me, yeah!
Ain't it true, always looking out for something better yeah you are
Pulling it apart
Baby, taking over now I feel you
Taking over now I want you
Lying on a bed of roses
In a sea of broken arrows (you can do it you can make it happen)
I can feel my honey, oh yeah!
Don't fall under my wheels
Run over, just like a juggernaut
Oh yeah, send his body back to me, me, me
Oh baby, taking over now I feel you, oh yeah!
Don't fall under my wheels
Run over, just like a juggernaut
Oh yeah! Send his body back to me
09 Bastardo (03:56)
Late one day, I led Spanish boy astray
His name was Antonio
Took him out, and of his charms I had no doubt
Stayed drinking Mohitos
Tender in the bedroom is all I can remember
And the way he looked when he moved so near
In my ear, he whispered and shed a tear
Oh my bambino
Tender in the bedroom is all I can remember
And the way he looked when he moved so near
And in the morning when I woke there was no Antonio
Just some money that he’d left for the memory of me
And oh my beautiful guitar, that’s what really broke my heart
Had been stolen by the two-faced low lothario
One night stand, lover you got out of hand
Oh yeah you went too far
Big mistake, falling for a first class fake
Who left me for my guitar
Tender in the bedroom is all I can remember
And the way he looked when he moved so near
Through my tears, I would have to find my dear
Guano Antonio
Tender in the bedroom is all I can remember
And the way he looked when he moved so near
And in the morning when I woke there was no Antonio
Just some money that he’d left for the memory of me
And oh my beautiful guitar, that’s what really broke my heart
Had been stolen by the two-faced lothario
Oh my beautiful guitar
On and on I go till I find you
My beautiful guitar
On and on I go till I find you
Oh I know, oh I know, oh I know Antonio
Won’t be back as I discovered on his track
He’s gone back to Mexico, oh Antonio
Oh my beautiful guitar
On and on I go till I find you
My beautiful guitar
On and on I go till I find you
And in the morning when I woke there was no Antonio
Just some money that he’d left for the memory of me
And oh my beautiful guitar, that’s what really broke my heart
Had been stolen by the two-faced lothario
Yeah had been stolen by the two-faced lothario
Yeah had been stolen by the dirty two-faced lover bastardo
10 Grey Will Fade (04:46)
I'm trying to find the words to say
To make you feel much better, Fay
And turn your head around and break it down
Don't you want a better view?
Come on now please say you do
And the wind will change
And part the dark clouds over you
There's nothing to be gained by
Running all those bad times through your head again
Stomachs ablaze with hellfire
But don't you know that these things always end the same?
Your pretty face is full of pain
Your act is getting harder to sustain
But I see, and I hear it, there are other ways
Forget the people who don't care for you
Oh I love you, you know it's true
It's so hard, but stay with me i'll see you through
There's nothing to be gained by
Running all those bad times through your head again
Stomachs ablaze with hellfire
But don't you know that these things always end the same?
In simple words I try to say
Everything will be ok
The grey will fade
And there'll be rainbow skies above you, Fay
Let's go somewhere we don't know
It's not running away, just trying to take control
The sunshine and the blue
Maybe you'll find something there for you
Oh I hope so, so lets go
There's nothing to be gained by
Running all those bad times through your head again
Stomachs ablaze with hellfire
But don't you know that these things always end the same?
Loading comments slowly
