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Album Review
by SashaS
5-12-2001
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| No Doubt rock steadying |
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No Doubt : 'Rock Steady'
(Interscope/Universal)
No Doubt have produced an album of more than surprising diversity
If you happen to share this reporter’s doubts about No Doubt, in particular after the band’s fourth CD, ‘Return To Saturn’, get ready to revise your opinion. No Doubt have made an album that is a corker; whether it is songwriting, maturing of the band as a unit or number of producers that pushed different buttons but, in the end, it makes no difference because music is what counts. And, it counts very large here.
No Doubt’s new album, ‘Rock Steady’ is a 13-track affair, recorded in London, San Francisco, Jamaica and LA, and it comes out only a week after the band’s singer, Gwen Stefani, was voted the Best Female singer by VH-1 in her native l’Amerique. Not wishing to question quality of her vox-box, which is all-fine by the way, such titles are pointless and should be renamed ‘Most Popular’. (Even Madonna agrees! – cleric Ed.)
The most obvious change is the band’s enlarging of the musical vocabulary. Stefani’s recent hit-single worth of collab with Eve, ‘Let Me Blow Ya Mind’, has clearly impacted these recordings, which is marked by hip-hop beats and slick R&B production without betraying their roots much. No Doubt’s first single, ‘Hey Baby’, released on February 4, is one of the album’s poppiest moments.
The album starts with a gentle little ‘Intro’ that soon gets you funkying with The Neptunes-produced ‘Hella Good’, one of the standout tracks, featuring the production team’s trademark hip-hop sound. Another highlight is ‘Waiting Room’, featuring Prince on vocals and production, and it is one of the best things the little fella’s done in a number of years. It starts off reminiscent of Leftfield but, by the time Prince comes in, it’s clear that the flawed-genius has come up with a classic vocal.
‘Detective’, produced by Nellee Hooper, is a mid-paced pop song and one of the tracks most closely resembling their hit ‘Don't Speak’. ‘Running’ is a sparse, electronic track again produced by Hooper, while the band return to their familiar ska-pop on the Sly & Robbie produced ‘Underneath It All’, which is sadly a bit disappointing. But the gem is left for the end, the title track, kicking with a mutated ska-sound that really makes you pogo! (Or whatever, you kids, call dancing these days.)
This album is issued as a limited edition (to dwarf the import buys) with the proper release in February but I’d hurry with a purchase; January will be bereft of new music as usual, so this can fill hours with pleasure and joy.
8/10
SashaS
5-12-2001
No Doubt’s album ‘Rock Steady’ is released 10 December on Interscope/Universal
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