Album Review by Mark Bayross
I suppose a solo album from Ash’s striking guitar-slinger was inevitable, and after penning some of the quartet’s songs, here, finally, is her opus. Lead single SUMMER, with its Breeders-meets-Chas N’ Dave jauntiness sets the scene perfectly: this is breezy guitar pop and a chance for Charlotte to show off her song-writing prowess.
With opener and internet-only single KIM WILDE, she succeeds admirably – it’s the perfect start to the album and grows in catchiness with every listen. Taking the two singles as a middle ground, the other tracks veer from wistful balladry (DOWN) to punky stabs of controlled feedback (STOP).
Most of the songs offer simple six-string immediacy, Charlotte’s voice rather suiting the sunny disposition of her songs, but some arrangements do add complexity to the sound. Electronics creep into the epic-sounding WHERE I’M COMING FROM and the production – courtesy of one time Captain Beefhart’s Magic Band member Eric Drew Feldman – is littered with backing harmonies and handclaps, making for a satisfyingly full sound.
The album ends with the title track, a song Charlotte originally wrote as an Ash B-side, and its soothing words of optimism serve to bring the album back full circle: if anyone had overlooked her contribution to Ash, this album should make them re-think.
GREY WILL FADE may not be groundbreaking, but it’s a lively compliment to the rawk of Ash’s MELTDOWN.
