It's time for the Ash girl to go solo, and she emerges from her new single with pop credibilities well intact.
Kim Wilde is not, as you might have thought, about the singer's love of begonias or a finely trimmed border, but it has an upbeat vibe, a chorus that sticks after a few listens and the sort of appealing yet slightly awkward melody that often characterises the music of her band mates.
Hatherley's voice is good, slightly vulnerable but again in an appealing way. Kim Wilde is therefore a strong single release to open with - now to see how her forthcoming album Grey Will Fade is received.