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Album di debutto per la brava (e bella) chitarrista degli Ash, che già in occasione di qualche b-side della band nordirlandese aveva messo in bella mostra un songwriting intrigante e fresco, aiutato anche dall'accompagnamento di Tim Wheeler & co. Ovviamente, le sue ambizioni soliste sono sempre rimaste piuttosto in ombra all'interno del gruppo, e l'opportunità di realizzare un disco in proprio ha rappresentato per l'avvenente Charlotte una grande occasione da non lasciarsi sfuggire, sfruttando anche il momento di stanca della band (palese nell'ultimo, deludente, "Meltdown").
“Grey Will Fade", pubblicato lo scorso agosto, si è rivelato un discreto successo indie, ma più di questo va notato che la Hatherley ha messo le basi per una crescita musicale di sicuro interesse: come una Melissa Auf Der Maur britannica, la chitarrista ha puntato su composizioni quasi sempre dirette e divertenti, un pò come le prime Elastica, su arrangiamenti sporchi ma allo stesso tempo catchy, giocando con l'immaginario punk e new wave ma senza scadere in caricature tipiche delle cosiddette "rriot girls" degli anni '90.
Il disco in definitiva cattura per la simpatia e la sensualità che la Hatherley riesce a infondere in quasi tutte le tracks, facendo di necessità virtù e contenendo qualche carenza tecnica e vocale con testi pungenti, provocanti e intimisti sicuramente ispirati ai modelli di altre frontgirls del recente passato del pop inglese: Justine Frischmann, Louise Wener degli Sleeper, Donna Matthews. A tratti riecheggia persino le malinconie acustiche di Cat Power.
Da segnalare sicuramente l'iniziale "Kim Wilde", un omaggio power pop a un idolo adolescienziale della nostra eroina, dove affiorano citazioni ai Police più duri e al Bowie di "Aladdin Sane"; la scoppiettante pop song "Summer", primo singolo estratto, che sembra davvero un inedito degli Ash e colpisce per il disinvolto accostamento tra Pixies, Bangles (!) ed Elastica del ritornello; ancora sapore di Pixies nella più calma "Rescue Plan" mentre dominano i vocalizzi in "Down", più sofisticata; "Stop" è un ruggito a metà tra Sonic Youth (sembra Kim Gordon!) e Smashing Pumpkins; "Where I'm Calling From" è una ballata pseudo-psichedelica che arriverebbe in classifica se a cantarla fosse, che so, Bjork; "Bastardo" è un altro divertente numero punkpop; nella traccia conclusiva, la title-track, sono messi in risalto i giochi di alternanza tra chitarre acustiche ed elettriche, ricordando in un certo senso anche gli Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Un album fresco, vitale e sexy da consigliare per passare un oretta piacevole, in compagnia di questa lolita punk in erba: gli Ash possono ancora attendere.
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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?
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