Album Review: No Doubt - Push And Shove

If you are going to take a ten-year break from the music business, you have two options: start from scratch and hope you can compete with the new kids on the block, or play it safe and return to what you know. No Doubt, who have made a successful career out of redefining themselves with each new album, have decided to do the latter on Push And Shove, which will disappoint some but appease just as many.

The first single, Settle Down, sets the tone for the album. It is old school No Doubt with a tinge of the kind of bold experimentation found on last album Rock Steady. Looking Hot, Push And Shove and Sparkle have that unmistakeable reggae-inspired No Doubt sound complete with brass, while Easy is the classic ballad they have been recording ever since the success of Don't Speak. The most surprising song is the stripped-back acoustic number Undone, which showcases Gwen Stefani's vocals in a way her solo work never attempted to.

It is extremely hard not to compare Push And Shove to No Doubt's previous work because they use many of the same samples, Stefani's lyrical themes remain the same and the music seems like a 'best-of'' from their back catalogue.

Those who have always seen No Doubt as a dumb Californian pop band will be satisfied by what they hear. Those who consider them musicians, who turned the elements of ska, reggae, dancehall, punk and even rock into something completely bold and unique, may be disappointed that Push And Shove has not taken them in yet another new direction.