Juliana Hatfield

Juliana Hatfield began her musical career as one-third of the Blake Babies, but her distinctive voice and songwriting penchant ensured that after the Babies broke up, she would jump most willingly into a solo career, which she has done with a unique style since.

Debut Hey Babe was released on Mammoth in 1992, the same year Hatfield played bass on the Lemonheads' guilty-pleasure pop-fest It's A Shame About Ray. The combo stirred the public's notice of Hatfield enough that her next album, Become What You Are generated two minor hits in "My Sister" and "Spin The Bottle".

But as media fascination came and went, Hatfield kept plugging away at her trade, evolving her songwriting through albums like the lush, melodic Only Everything and the more raw, abrasive Bed. She liked to explore these two sides of her musical palette, going so far as to release the rocking Total System Failure and the muted, introspective Beautiful Creature on the same day in 2000.

Though most would call Hatfield a cult star by now, she has definitely carved out a modest niche for herself in the realm of modern pop with a 16-year-plus career. Oh, and the Blake Babies reunited in 2001 just for kicks and a fourth album.

Album reviews

Bed
Zoe (1998)
Bed isn't a bad album, but it would have needed a little more time put in to make it a good one.