Album- Love. Angel.
Music. Baby.
Artist- Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani has always been a great frontman as the lead
singer for the rock and ska group No Doubt, but after the band finished touring
they want on hiatus, and Stefani’s small side project became her first solo
album. The album also is unique in presenting a different sound than the group,
being a more New Wave and pop inspired album with a range of other genres being
incorporated. But was this really such a great solo album, or were people
really just loving this solo record because they loved No Doubt?
Track 1- What You
Waiting For?
Opening track and lead single What You Waiting For? was co-written
by renowned songwriter Linda Perry, who reportedly grabbed her after the 2003
Grammy Awards to discuss potentially collaborating. The song is a New Wave tune
that finds the singer lyrically addressing her nervousness over starting a solo
career away from No Doubt, and the fact that some female singers only last so
long in music industry. However, at the core of the song is this building of
confidence, with the snappy statement of the chorus giving the song a bit of
bite and instilling this sense of just go for it into both Stefani and the
listener. The vocal performance is really powerful and smooth and nicely
creates this two toned level within the song, as the singer switches between
ranges within the song to create different personas, with the singer singing in
a higher range to express nervousness, and then becoming confident in her
persona when singing in a lower range. The production of the track also further
creates this sense of both nervousness and confidence, with the track starting
off with this piano melody that acts as a tribute to her days with No Doubt,
before the forceful keyboard beats and gritty guitar riff kicks in to give us a
sound that commands your attention and works really well in elevating the
lyrical content and making the words more impactful.
4/5
Track 2- Rich Girl
(featuring Eve)
A remake of the Louchie Lou & Michie One’s song of the
same name, Rich Girl is a pop and dancehall song that finds the singer teaming
up with rapper Eve once again, after the two produced the hit single ‘Let Me
Blow Ya Mind’ back in 2001. The song begin with a ‘na na na’ introduction
before hitting with the catchy chorus where Stefani sings of how things would
be if she was a rich girl. The verses then find the singer name checking a
number of designers and fancy things, but through the bridge she expresses how
all the riches don’t mean anything. The vocal performance has a light and
carefree tone that is helped by the use of vocal layering, and so the song
works in the way that through her voice the singer makes the song’s lyrics
stand out even more, as we can imagine she is a rich girl. Eve provides a
feisty rap section that further establishes the essence of both her and Stefani
being rich girls. Dr Dre provides a funky pop groove to the track with the
keyboard bass and guitar, creating a light and bouncy rhythm that gets you
feeling like a rich girl for 4 minutes.
3.5/5
Track 3- Hollaback
Girl
The records attitude fuelled track, Hollaback Girl is a hip
hop and dance tune that finds a feisty Stefani simply telling us that she isn’t
a hollaback girl. The song calls out people for putting labels on the singer,
and so she stands strong and ends up being the one on top in the end. The song
has a fierce edge that has this almost inspirational quality, whilst the
cheerleading like sound of the track makes the song a very catchy tune. The
song doesn’t necessarily show of her vocals in the best way but she gives us a
vocal that is powerful simply in terms of attitude, and so it works well in
grabbing and maintaining your attention. With minimal beats produced by a drum
machine, the sound of the track is strong but simple, and so as a whole this is
a feisty pop number that can be used well if you want to feel good about
yourself.
3.5/5
Track 4- Cool
A collaboration with writer and producer Dallas Austin, this
song was reportedly inspired by the 2001 No Doubt track ‘Simple Kind of Life’,
but was not completed until Austin asked Stefani to help him finish the song.
Reflecting her former relationship with No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal, the track
lyrically presents an amicable friendship between former lovers, with the final
line of the chorus emphasising the evolution of the relationship. The mid tempo
love song features a slightly wistful and light vocal performance from the
singer that comes across as very chilled and further shows how she is a great
singer in the way that she really animates her tracks and makes them feel very
honest. Austin brings a great sound to the song with a blend of guitar, drums
and synthesisers that just creates a chilled and cute sound that feels a little
1980’s influenced and works very well in acting as a nice base to make the
lyrics more potent.
4/5
Track 5- Bubble Pop
Electric (featuring Johnny Vulture)
Featuring the alias of rapper Andre 3000, Bubble Pop
Electric is an electro pop track that ups the tempo and finds the singer in
quite a sensual frame of mind. The lyrics of the track are fun and mischievous
in a cool way as the singer and rapper talk of having sex at a drive in movie
in the car, using a lot of metaphors and giving us a light and cheeky chorus
that is very catchy. The song is cool in the way that it blends the singing
with these spoken bits that make the song have this cinematic tone. Stefani
brings us a light vocal performance that has this girly energy, whilst Andre
3000 simply acts as the guy taking the girl to the movie and having sex with
her. The isn’t perhaps as polished as the other tracks but the frenzied energy
of the bassline and electro stabs giving the song this feisty sound that makes
the cheeky, sensual energy of the song a little more powerful, and so the songs
production is still very good.
3.5/5
Track 6- Luxurious
Sampling the 1983 Isley Brothers track ‘Between the Sheets’,
Luxurious is a collaboration with Stefani’s No Doubt band mate Tonay Kanal. The
song lyrically has a similar vibe to Rich Girl, but this time the riches are
focused upon the idea of being in love, with the singer using an array of
metaphors to express how great she feels being in love, and she also expresses
how the passion between her and her partner is continually increasing. The song
begins with the singers husband speaking in French, and the whole song just
really keeps your attention with the pop and RnB sound that shows the singer
putting on a different kind of persona. The keyboards and synthesisers just
blend nicely to make an RnB slow jam that you can listen to and just think
about your partner. The song also finds the singer giving us a smooth and
sensual vocal that further conveys this sense of luxury, although for me the
vocal layering of the track is a little bit annoying.
3.5/5
Track 7- Harajuku
Girls
A pop song that melds together some Asian influences, this
song is a bit of a weird track where the singer tells us of hanging out with
her Harajuku Girls and how is like there biggest fan. The Harajuku Girls are a
staple of the singers live shows and her persona as a solo pop artist, and so
because of that it maybe makes sense that musically she shows her appreciation,
with this song lyrically being all about how wicked and great the Harajuku
Girls are. However, the song does become a bit too bizarre after a while and
feels too cutesy, with the singers vocals being light and simple in a way that
sounds cool at first but then starts to seem like she is just obsessed with
these girls. The soft pop production with the snappy electro beats and other
elements such as strings and piano give the song this vibrant and airy tone
that is nice too listen, and so this is a track to enjoy if you can get past
the weirdness.
3/5
Track 8- Crash
Another surprise collaboration with the singers No Doubt band
mate Tony Kanal, Crash is a fun electro clash number that has a little bit of a
hip hop flavour. The song is about the singer waiting for this guy to crash
into her really hard, having a cool double entendre quality that is silly but
infectious, with the singer giving us a fun vocal that is layered with a lovely
amount of quirky mannerisms. The synth based is nicely layered for a simple,
80’s inspired feel that is nice to bounce along to, giving us another sass
laden, plain and simple fun number.
3.5/5
Track 9- The Real
Thing
Taking things to a bit more of a dance state, The Real Thing
is a synth pop based tune that has a bit of an 80’s music flavour about it. The
songs message is sweet and simple as the singer tells this person that they are
what they want in life because she loves them, and knows this is the real
thing. The message is sweet if clichéd, and the singer gives us a wistful and
glamorous vocal performance that is nicely layered to give the song this added
depth and add to the sweet texture of the track. The simple synth driven notes
of the production mixed with the twangy electric guitar makes this a pure pop
track that is nice in its simplicity and gives a mellow touch to the record.
3.5/5
Track 10- Serious
Another synth pop based tune, Serious is another song that
feels influenced by music of the past, this time having a touch of 1990’s
Madonna about it. The song takes a while to really kick in but the intro is
commanding in terms of the string led production, before the song develops into
this simple pop number where Stefani asks her lover to take things serious as
her feelings for him are truly strong and serious. The song has this dramatic
tone that is brought out powerfully through the blend of the funky electro
grooves and dance beats with some string notes that makes this a commanding
listen. The singer’s distinctive and quirky vocal style is shown to good effect
within this song that allows her to show the range of her voice, and we are
just given another great pop driven number that feels like Stefani is both
paying homage to the past whilst becoming an amazing star of her era.
3.5/5
Track 11- Danger Zone
Being widely interpreted as being about the fact that she
found out that her husband had had an illegitimate child, but actually being written
before that discovery, Danger Zone is another pop number, but this time things
take more of an electro rock turn, and the singer reminds us most of her No
Doubt roots with this track. The song has a powerful and well-structured
lyrical tone as the singer tells her lover of how they are in this danger zone
because he hasn’t been totally honest, and now she is a bit unsure of where
things will go. The glittery synths and forceful rock guitar riffs of the
production gives the song a powerful sound that you can dance to or simply
listen to and take the words in, whilst Stefani gives us a simple vocal
performance that shows restrained emotion but is fragile enough to give the
listener some emotion to grasp upon, and the vocal also shows off her
quirkiness a little for another well-crafted tune.
3.5/5
Track 12- Long Way to
Go (performed by Gwen Stefani and Andre 3000)
Final track Long Way to Go is another Andre 300
collaboration, but this time under the rappers known stage name. An outtake
from 3000’s album The Love Below, the track features snappy RnB tinged beats
and references to Martin Luther King, as the duo sing of interracial dating and
how it is ok. The message is positive but perhaps feels a tad excessive in some
ways, as there is this powerful drama about the song that makes things a little
uncomfortable. It also feels more like an Andre 3000 track featuring Stefani,
and so why it made this album is questionable, perhaps through nothing other
than to create controversy.
3/5
Final Review
Love. Angel. Music. Baby was a
great debut studio album from Gwen Stefani because it didn’t try to recreate
the music of No Doubt but put the singer into a different musical lane full of
snappy rhythms and awesome pop hooks. The album is very consistent, and is strong
in the way that there are many potential hits, hence why the excessive nature
of the album having six singles isn’t actually all successful. No Doubt are an
awesome group, but if they ever split up for good, Stefani should sit
comfortably in the knowledge that she can have a great solo career.
8.5/10
Best Track- What You
Waiting For?
Worst Track- Harajuku
Girls
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