Charlotte Hatherley - The Deep Blue Album Review

Charlotte Hatherley
The Deep Blue
Album Review

It is difficult to believe that Ash have parted company with Charlotte Hatherley. She has already got over the first hurdle of releasing a debut album Grey Will Fade. This had amazing post-punk melodies and in one shape or form is exactly what you expect from the former Ash band member.

…And now it is album number two, ten years making music and Charlotte is at the ripe old age of twenty-seven. For those out there that were hoping for a different angle of Ash style songs, then you will be very much disappointed. This album is to contain the influences of Charlotte alone, no one else and looks to divulge into Charlottes soul. It does seem that The Deep Blue does give a clue in the title as it does go deep into the depths of the unknown.

The Deep Blue takes up to the third track before you actually get to anything that is remotely classed as upbeat and has some sort of beat. I Want You To Know show what Charlotte Hatherley is capable of. If you like the mellow more chilled out kind of stuff then this is the album for you, but for some bizarre reason it doesn’t seem to work for Charlotte. Maybe it is the fact that she has been doing something different in the way of the stuff when she was with Ash, but this style that she seems to of adopted is totally the opposite. You could say that she is like a teenager wanting to rebel against everything she was. Judging on this album though rather than rebelling, Charlotte should embrace her experiences and knowledge that she has gained with her former band and use it to produce something far more better than this.

Sometimes it takes artists to have confrontation and debates to make some real quality to music. For Charlotte she is having to try all of this out as a solo artist and maybe she is struggling a little. Although she is not alone look at a certain Mr Richard Ashcroft. It does seem that The Deep Blue does give a clue in the title as it does go deep into the depths of the unknown. Unfortunately this album is like being knocked off a bike, but there is no doubt that Charlotte Hatherley will be back on that bike and learn from what can only be described as a mistake.

Mark Moore