Charlotte Hatherley Artist Review

Often overshadowed in her previous musical outings, Charlotte Hatherley's dulcet tones may be somewhat unfamiliar to those not directly accustomed to her more recent musical adventures. But, that's not to say Hatherley's richly alternative musical background should leave her resigned to the lower tier of underground influence, on the contrary, Hatherley's concentrated, highly nuanced folk-pop style has slowly been garnering her a steady following, & large amounts of commercial airplay. It seems Charlotte Hatherley is about ready to enter the world's stage proper.
Since the demise of Ash, in which Hatherley's often erratic & highly energetic guitar playing was more recognisable than her vocals, Hatherley has vacated the public spectrum in order to concentrate on her own musical ventures, these include taking something of a back seat to play bass with Client and, more importantly spend an impressive amount of time creating two gems, with a third release highly anticipated for later this year.
Not being one to play the fame game, Hatherley has exuded an air of quiet sophistication & reservation during her solo career, allowing her talent for song-writing to shine through as opposed to innumerable other acts that have opted for drug-fuelled hedonism & media coverage to becloud whatever meagre talent they may have. Quite the opposite. Hatherley's understated nature has amassed a large amount of appreciation among Alt. Rock superstars which has led to her sharing bills with both Blondie & Bryan Ferry on recent respective UK tours. This elegance which Hatherley possesses is none more present than on yet-to-be -released Sister Universe. Subtle melodic lines intertwining, harmonious interludes & lyrical expansiveness all add up to create a charming deviation into what could be consider the folkier side of the musical spectrum. Cultivated & refined, Sister Universe meanders effortlessly between styles, with undertones oddly reminiscent of (apologies for the obviousness of the comparison) a delicate PJ Harvey. Not that Hatherley ever indulges too greatly into any particular genre or any particular style. Simply a nod to those she looks up to, and a wink to those she has listened to.
It always seemed that during Hatherley's furtive years as the quiet one in Ash, her refinement and depth as a musician, even more so as a person were constantly being crushed by the overcompensating, wavering pomposity of front-man Tim Wheeler. Not to say Ash didn't create some great tunes, but that they modelled by so many trend factors that their sound became tired and repetitive. With such an eclectic mix of folk, pop & electro, this seems to be a pitfall Hatherley's solo career will never fall into.

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