The Dublin-based teen quartet
B*Witched often comes off like a junior
Spice Girls with its bouncy beats, singalong tunes and chipper attitude on its self-titled debut album. And with songs that span the Spicy gamut from starry-eyed ballads ("To You I Belong") to radio-ready pop ("Blame It On the Weatherman"), plus the fact that they all dress like Sporty Spice, make it difficult to think of them as anything but teenaged
Spice knock-offs. Yet, the Celtic influences (like fiddles and tin whistles) reflect their Irish heritage, allowing some individuality to seep in, even though they're often drowned in an ocean of gloss. The best songs here -- "C'est La Vie" and "Rollercoaster" -- are still able to yield sugary pop morsels fit to chew on for a few minutes. ~ Michael Gallucci