Sony
Pop, 1999

When these girl groups first came out, I thought they were pretty great. While the Spice Girls are holed up recording their third album, B*Witched comes out with their second. I liked their cheesy debut album, but I must say this one is awful.

One, the girls are going for this weird country/Irish jig hybrid of a sound. Unfortunately, their music sounds like bad Sesame Street soundtrack rejects, and the lyrics make me ill. It’s bad enough they are giggling like prepubescents in the and radio TV interviews, on this album, their really ersatz “We are 12!” facade is reinforced by really irritatingly juvenile lyrics. A song about the death of a loved one starts with:

They say you’re gone, I know you’ll be our angel.

Maybe I’m not their target audience, but then again, why limit their audience to 10 year-olds? What will happen when these 10 year-olds grow up and seek more mature music?

Some songs are decent to the ears, for instance It Was Our Day and Jesse Hold On. B*Witched’s attempt to emulate the success of their brother boyband Boyzone’s A Different Beat in their own rip-off I Shall Be There sounds good, but is ruined by the lead singer’s squeaking of some of the most asinine lines ever:

I shall be there. Will you be there?
I shall be there. Will you be there?
I shall be there. Will you be there?

Childish can be good, but when childish is crammed down my throat, no thanks. Awake and Breathe isn’t even halfway decent to be listenable.