Some Assembly Required

One might consider him or herself lucky to buy an album recorded by one bitchin' babe, but Some Assembly Required allows the listener to pay the same low price for the talented work of four. This lineup — Camille West, Debi Smith, Sally Fingerett, and Suzzy Roche — has bundled their combined artistry for Some Assembly Required. Roche, the newest member of the team, kicks off the set with "Changing," a catchy ode to the tricky art of keeping track of one's previous selves. "I'd like to introduce my selves to each other," she sings, "but they keep...changing." Since each of the four sings so well, the vocals are divided equally, and since they sing so well together, the album has plenty of fine harmony. Smith offers a tribute to a fondly remembered English teacher in "Bob Dylan's Poetry," while West imagines the day she'll take the boy on the second floor to nirvana in "New Age Swing." 4 Bitchin' Babes even offer a bit of advice on Fingerett's bouncy "Don't Mess With Me (I'm Somebody's Mother)." For fans of the group's previous albums, Some Assembly Required easily passes inspection; for those less familiar with estrogen-fueled folk, the album offers a fine introduction. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi