Finally, after more than a decade, fans of No Doubt will get what they’ve been holding their breath for since 2001. No Doubt started as a ska band in the early nineties, but didn’t reach commercial success during the reign of grunge. As time went on, their music evolved and transformed. More than a mere ska band, No Doubt never seemed to let one genre of music be their sole influence. Until now, that is.
When I first popped in their newest album Push and Shove, I wasn’t upset. About half way through, it seemed like every other song screamed, “Look at me, I‘m new wave!” I still wasn’t upset. But when I finished the album I was overcome by a harsh tsunami of conflicting emotions. On one hand, I thought No Doubt was a band with an adorable charm that I couldn’t bring myself to stay angry at. On the other hand, I was disappointed. No Doubt had always been so unique, but now all I could hear was a girl trying to sound like the unholy offspring of Adam and the Ants and every other club song from the last two years. New wave music has its place, and that place isn‘t an entire No Doubt album. What happened, No Doubt? You won my heart over with a cheerful fusion of funk, ska, pop and what-the-heck-am-I-hearing? But this new album feels more like an empty shell of the band I once knew.
On the surface, Push and Shove is a perfectly inoffensive album. Every song is just cheery enough to leave you smiling and just poppy enough to get your foot tapping–– but that’s just the problem. There are no risks. There are no crazy hooks. There are no impressive solos. There is nothing selling the album to me, nothing calling to me and saying, “Don‘t forget about me, I‘m different!”
In 1995, Tragic Kingdom featured everything from the cool, smooth single, “Don’t Speak,” to the grandiose thrill ride that was the titular track. “Rock Steady” (2001) brought us to our feet with iconic groovy tracks like “Hella Good” and “Hey Baby,” but it wasn’t afraid to rock out. It paid respect to the ska that gave No Doubt their start. But Push and Shove does so little to excite the listener. There are no tracks that make my ears perk up, no tracks that bring a grin to my face. In some songs, the drum beat feels like it could’ve been lifted out of any Top 20 song in the last six years. Gwen Stefani puts a slight effect on the vocal mix in nearly every track that detracts from the raw beauty of her natural voice. She seems afraid, even, to show off just what she’s capable of and just how wonderfully weird she can sound. Perhaps she has lost her edge in the last decade.
It’s not what Push and Shove offers that disappoints, no. Push and Shove is an acceptable album. What leaves a bad taste in my mouth is the wasted potential. Push and Shove wasn’t some no-name pop band’s debut album. It wasn’t some Depeche Mode wannabe’s new album, either. It was No Doubt’s new album, and I really expected more out of it. Especially after waiting 11 years. If your first taste of No Doubt was “Hella Good” and you’ve been following Gwen Stefani’s solo career, this is the album for you. However, if you’ve been following the band since the 90s, you’re probably going to be left feeling empty.
Critic’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
KC Phillips can be reached at charismatic_stallion@yahoo.com.
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