Grey Will Fade - Charlotte Hatherley Album Review
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Album Review
Charlotte Hatherley has come along way since her days of sitting in a classroom and nights of playing underground rock venues with riot grrl band Nightnurse. There is no doubting that she owes it to one night when an Irish three piece and their manager entered the venue hosting a gig with Nightnurse, scouting for their fourth member. Before she knew it, no longer was she playing to 100 in an upstairs room, but she was facing 50'000 at the V97 festival with indie band Ash, after being picked by Tim Wheeler and company, and the rest is history.
Soon after, Hatherley picked up a pen herself, penning two songs, which featured on major Ash releases, with the support of co-member Tim Wheeler. One of these was entitled "Grey Will Fade," a name resurrected for Hatherley's debut solo album, entirely penned by herself, and recorded whilst Ash recorded latest album "Meltdown."
The gruelling schedule of recording and travelling between studios has not tainted this solo effort from the talented guitarist, who releases an album as crisp as any Ash release. Taking on all she can, Hatherley shows us what she can do with a microphone, airing her soft vocals, and takes on duties of guitar as well as her friend the bass, and, the role of main songwriter, like a natural.
The result is cute, pop rock with a girly edge. Lots of frenetic moments, crashing chaos, and overall upbeat fun, think summer is over, think again!
Charlotte maintains the pop-rock element and angelic soft voice, even on the angry "Bastardo," where she sings about a love rat that ran off back to Mexico, taking her favourite guitar with him.
Do not be mistaken, there are deeper moments also, as in "Where I'm Calling From," Charlotte goes for the soft acoustic approach, and adds synths and percussion, with girly Lauren Laverne (Kenickie) style vocals.
This varied album shows Charlotte adding more strings to her bow, using all Ash taught her and more to produce this frenetic and feisty debut.
Ash fans and guitar pop fans will love it, others won't be able to resist the genuineness of this debut, and it's nature for summer feel good cheekiness.
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