It has been over a decade since Gwen Stefani took off for her lavish and glamorous pop solo career and the last No Doubt studio album ‘Rock Steady’ was released. The waiting is over though and the “Don’t Speak” band is back with their trademark ska attitude, drawing just enough from today’s dubstep and synths like in the title track “Push and Stove”.
Looking at the four of them performing and promoting the single “Looking Hot”, it felt like they were a bit out of space, especially thinking about Gwen Stefani’s image shifting back to No Doubt’s ska-punk from fashion trend setter hollaback and rich girl.
Seriously, can they still pull it off? Midway through the song an electro-reggae arrangement kicks in giving a cool twist that will characterize the album and keep the live rendition entertaining.
The album doesn’t really hit a high moment and a series of ballads like “One More Summer” and “Undercover” have that light approach of California’s summery tracks about finding and questioning love stories without any deep lyrical meaning. First single and opener “Settle Down” is one of the few reminders of who No Doubt have been but despite the overall playful mood of the record, most tracks sound too generic and less distinctive.
As a comeback album though, it is enjoyable and on a positive note No Doubt try to keep their essence intact without selling out to nowadays trends. Ten years is a long time and “Push and Stove” is ultimately about reawakening the chemistry they had and a good starting point if they will continue working together again.
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