Former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley released her second solo album “Deep Blue” in March 2007.
Going from “Grey” to “Blue”
Charlotte Hatherley is one of the great “under the radar” talents of this generation. A guitarist first and a singer second, Hatherley recorded her second solo album “The Deep Blue” last year. While the playlist is marred by slower tracks, the loud and swift standouts of the album are effective enough to maintain her Alternative Rock roots. As the title implies, “Deep Blue” is a dive into the unknown. Previously a guitarist for the Northern Irish rock band Ash, Hatherely split from the group in 2006, and began working on “Deep Blue,” a gamble that would either sink or swim.
While Hatherely was on the road touring with Ash, she began writing and recording her own tracks. The resulting album released in 2004, titled “Grey Will Fade,” showed a different side of Hatherley. “Deep Blue” strives to provide a more complex level of music than “Grey Will Fade”-- not that her taste wasn’t interesting from the start. The slower tracks like “Again” are slightly reminiscent of her work with Ash (from 1997-2006), providing a Dream-pop edge.
“Behave” is from another planet all together. It stays heavy with complex chords that are at once cleverly consistent and somewhat overwhelming. The track even received a glowing review from David Bowie himself, whom Hatherely calls one of her heroes.
“I Want You To Know” and “Very Young” remind me of the fastest tracks on a Sahara Hotnights album and as lyrically defiant, while “Love’s Young Dream” channels the might of Shirley Manson from Garbage.
It isn’t enough to say “Blue” is not ashamed of its influences. Odes to Sonic Youth and the Breeders are rampant throughout. Critics have already assigned a tribute to award-winning Bond-film composer John Barry in Hatherley’s mysterious instrumental “Cousteau.” Hatherely also attributes some of her influences to Kate Bush, David Bowie, and Scott Walker. While “Blue” is a lot stronger in guitar-play than lyrics, such results are to be expected with the talented guitarist’s newfound independence. The mix Hatherley puts together proves that she can stand on her own, and possibly surpass her origins.
Hatherely is currently working on her third album, to be released at the end of 2008 on her own label, Little Sister Records. For more about her, check out her website at http://www.charlottehatherley.com/.
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