Charlotte Hatherley
Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
4th February, 2007

Charlotte Hatherley may have left Ash, but musically, she hasn’t moved on. Her businesslike set is stuffed with cheery indie tunes that transport us back in time to the heady days of Echobelly and Sleeper. This isn’t as horrific as it sounds: a pulchritudinous indie guitar band rocking out can be a lot of fun. Interestingly, Hatherley’s hijacked the entire Chris TT band, so these are seriously experienced musicians. Demure yet striking in a severe black smock, Hatherley’s very much in charge of a set which surprises only in its lack of ambition, as exemplified by her new album, The Deep Blue. She still wrenches out a mean guitar solo, but somehow you’d hoped that she’d be pushing the boundaries more. Still, these are early days for an artist whose scope will surely develop over time.