Published on Apr 13, 1999
It would be easy to sit back, listen to the debut album from the
Irish pop quartet B*Witched, and declare them to be the next
generation of the Debbie Gibson-Tiffany-Spice Girls-NKOTB-insert
your band here teeny-bop idols.
It would be easy… but it’s too damned infectious to just write
off as fluff. These four teenagers are onto something in their
music, and it’s enjoyable for listeners of all ages – even an old
curmudgeon like myself.
The young ladies – Sinead, Edele, Keavy and Lindsay – have a
firm grasp of rhythm and harmony, meaning two major battles are won
early on
B*Witched. The third battle is to produce music that doesn’t
sound like so many synthesizers blaring out prepackaged music. This
is the toughest battle, and yet another one they easily win.
From the lead-off single “C’est La Vie” to the
cute-bubbly-bounciness of “Rev It Up,” or even the bittersweet
catchiness of “Blame It On The Weatherman,” B*Witched come out of
the gate firing on all cylinders, and for the course of the album
(which clocks in at under 40 minutes), they keep you
interested.
Of course, if you get caught up in reading the lyrics, some
things may strike you as a bit banal, and some parents’ group is
bound to get their dander up at the suggestiveness of some of the
lyrics (“I got a house with windows and doors / I’ll show you mine
if you show me yours” from “C’est La Vie”). But, if The Disney
Channel doesn’t have a problem with these tracks, then what’s the
big deal?
Besides, even if I think the lyrics get a little too syrupy at
times, I’m more than willing to grant a little leniency towards
B*Witched on two counts. First is their age; I highly doubt I would
have been writing songs about the stock market at age 16. Why not
let them have their fun? Second, this
is a debut effort, and the one or two minor wrinkles I hear
in the album (songs like “Never Giving Up” and “Freak Out” get a
little old), these are all things that are easily ironed out in
time.
B*Witched is a surprisingly good album that might shock even
the toughest cynic. Who knows? These girls might just shock us by
showing some lasting power and staying on the scene for a while. If
the music in their future is this good, then they can stay for as
long as they want.