What can I say--I'm a sucker for chick bands, Belly, Hole, PJ--and whatever happened to The Breeders and Julianna Hatfield--I miss those gals. While we anxiously await their reappearance, Frogpond has leapt into the girlie water and with any luck they'll make themselves a splash.

Writer/guitarist/lead-singer Heidi Phillips has that brooding, dark-eyed look of Elastica's Justine Frischmann and the masculine talkish voice of Liz Phair. Her songs are pretty straight forward examinations of relationships and the band's sound you'd find near the intersection of Veruca Salt and the Go-Go's. She also wields a pretty mean guitar. The album's biggest problem, however, is her desire to be Kurt Cobain--she goes on some Nirvana guitar rants that take her away from her strengths. She writes catchy chorus hooks that will have you humming them in the shower. Safe Ride Home's centerpiece is a song called "Empty Room" that is an unaffected lament about the realities of leaving your children behind in order to pursue a career.

Rounding out the amphibious trio is Justine Volpe on bass and Billy Joe Johnson on drums. Their debut effort is pretty solid, and I'd recommend it to those of you who like the estrogen-driven rockers. This is the best thing that's come along since the latest releases by Liz and PJ.