Gwen Stefani is the only reason I can remember how to spell the word “bananas.” I was really happy when she left No Doubt and not terribly surprised, either. Gwen, like me, is a class-B diva, and as such, can’t deal well with sharing a spotlight. It’s no surprise that No Doubt’s “reunion” album, Push & Shove, was entirely neglected by the mainstream music media. Gwen’s six-pack and hair paler than Sarah Palin on the night a state passes marriage equality legislation, couldn’t create enough buzz- the album failed to make much of an impression on the Billboard Charts. Hitting #3 in your first week and experiencing a sales decline sharper than Azealia Banks’ acrylic nails isn’t exactly something to include in your weekly text to your record company.
But, brace yourselves.
I actually like this album.
It could be the fact that every blessed track plays during my work shifts at the Coach store (because nothing beats dropping hundreds of dollars on a handbag with Gwen Stefani wailing in the background), but several of the songs on this album have really won me over.
The single “Settle Down” made absolutely no sense when considering the composition of the album. There’s a clear sound represented by the group throughout virtually every other track. I’ll discuss the highlights — also known as the songs you DON’T delete from your iTunes after importing the CD.
Push and Shove veils sex metaphors…barely. And I’m really okay with that. Gwen can sing to me about sex until I’m popping Viagra. The beat fluctuates in a very up-and-down fashion to call to mind … some of the topics my colleague, Laina Chin, writes about in her column “Sex and the Swattie.”
Sparkle re-interprets No Doubt’s older sound. It throws a musical bone to fans of “Spiderwebs” and “Don’t Speak” with its slow beats and supplicating lyrics. Whoever titled the track is a moron and should be working for Taylor Swift instead.
Looking Hot makes me feel really hot. If you see me strutting around campus with headphones, I’m probably strutting in rhythm to this song. The beat and lyrics fuse together to create a really sexy feeling throughout the track. It has the same themes of overestimation of attractiveness, but again, if Gwen Stefani wants to think of herself as a mega-hottie, far be it for me to dispute that.
Overall, the album feels like a solid addition to the “No Doubt” canon, despite the cringe-worthy sales numbers.
In my next column, I’ll be reviewing ARTPOP — let’s hope the tears I cry bemoaning the end of GaGa’s career don’t bring back too many memories of Hurricane Sandy.
