[review 2004: the best of the year]

Grey Will Fade is an album full of summer pop gems, and doesn’t aspire to be anything greater. It doesn’t work quite as well in the cold of December, of course. But Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley’s debut effort is an above-average try at a summer album, made all the better by its very unorthodox twists and turns. “Kim Wilde” and “Paragon” are cases in point: they’re some of the most complex pop songs made this year, and feel like rollercoaster rides through the land of harmonies and chords. Why Ash doesn’t exploit Hatherley’s songwriting talents more often is a mystery.

Once you manage to wrap your head around Grey Will Fade’s eccentricities�and it’ll take a couple of listens�you’ll find that the album doesn’t really take any other major risks. The album’s slick guitar sheen has just enough bite to make an impression, but is just as easy to hum along to. The album is full of hooks, and Hatherley is a master of the pop-staple “ooh,” sprinkling a healthy portion of them throughout. And there’s a lot of catchy songs to enjoy once you understand Hatherley’s interesting take on chord progressions. Some, like “Kim Wilde,” are obvious; others like “Why You Wanna?” sneak up on you.

This isn’t an album you buy because it’s difficult or intellectually rewarding; it’s an album you buy because you want a soundtrack to your top-down road trip. It’s an album you buy because you want something to blare out the stereo during the summer. It’s an album you buy because the songs are so catchy, you can’t help but not listen to it all the time. An album worth the import price�especially when next summer rolls around.