No DoubtThere’s an intentional irony in the title to No Doubt’s fifth album, in that it’s a red herring in two different ways. It suggests a return to this band’s So-Cal ska-punk days (rock steady is one of early monikers for ska in Jamaica), but it does nothing of the sort here. And it hints at a greater rock orientation, but that’s wrong too. On the other hand, the plethora of top-notch co-producers – Prince, Nellee Hooper, Ric Ocasek, Sly & Robbie, Steely & Clevie and William Orbit – would indicate a cluttered grab-bag of flavours including funk, pop, reggae, new wave, dub, dance and more. Well, that’s true, except for the cluttered bit.
Though it had the potential to be all over the place (literally, since it was recorded in about five different locations), two things tighten everything up. The first is Gwen Stefani, who’s never sounded better, whether it’s a feisty track like Hey Baby or a more reflective one like Running. The second is the all-pervasive but appropriate programming so that, from the dancehall groove of Start The Fire to the spiky R&B-funk of Waiting Room, it all bristles and bubbles with the rhythms locked down and the effects memorable. If the last album suggested No Doubt had plateaued, this effort has them in take-off mode again.
