By Dana reese
Editor In Chief
After a decade of wondering if they were ever getting back together, No Doubt released a studio album, Push and Shove, on Tuesday September 5.
Including the single, “Settle Down,” the music has a familiar feel for No Doubt’s fans of the past, from Beacon Street to Rock Steady. While songs like “Sparkle” have the feel of Return of Saturn, other songs can be placed at other points in No Doubt’s lengthy career. For many fans this is a relief. As No Doubt reenters the popular music scene, they have managed to keep their sound, against all the directions and tailored moves of the music industry in the past decade.
For other fans there is much to gripe and moan about.
While the album echoes the sounds of the bands triumphs, it also has hints of modern dubstep music and Gwen Stefani’s solo work until 2006. While fans of No Doubt may happily hang onto the parts where reggae and horn solos break in, they also might be left off base when the music takes the poppy twist that garnered Gwen Stefani during her L.A.M.B. days.
Gwen Stefani—as apparently ageless as ever—continues her distinct and peppy lyrics, regardless of content. Horns and everything, No Doubt are still apparent in the sounds and turns of the album.
The expected sales for the first week on the album were set at 120 to 125 thousand sales. While it is lower than the over 200 thousand sales 2001’s Rock Steady sold in the first week, it is not a low number in today’s music market. The album is expected to hit the Billboard Top 200 list in the next week.
While the single “Settle Down” has only hit 34 on Billboard’s Top 100 on August 4, Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” remains high on the list, at number 12, calling into question the value of any Billboard list.
Seriously, though, for any fan of the 1990s and No Doubt, for anyone who sang “Simple Life” or “Just a Girl” to cassette tapes in their boombox, this album is a good investment, and it is just as good for anyone who latched onto Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” and learned how to spell banana thanks to the rock goddess.
The album is available online for download now, and the iTunes download comes with three extra tracks. The album can be found at most major music retailers.
Email Dana at:
dmr3170@live.esu.edu
