Album Review - No Doubt "Push And Shove"

Oh, No Doubt. How you have guided me along from my early years. If I remember correctly, "Tragic Kingdom" was among the first CDs I ever bought, and I learned every word. That was back in the day when I got a new CD maybe every other month, so I had to play them over and over to make them last. Now-a-days I have such an influx in music that I'm lucky to learn half the chorus. Anyway, enough memory lane. Onward to the future - the future that is "Push and Shove".

The album starts off with "Settle Down", which by now I am completely sick of, so I won't be commenting on anything other than the annoying length of it.

The album continues into something that No Doubt has ever done before -- Rock-pop. They have gone from total ska to total reggae, and now they are rock-pop? The second song "Looking Hot" actually sounds like something off of Gwen's solo album, at least until the break down when we take a side trip to the Bahamas.

The album takes a bit of a chill down with the turn of the next track. Kicking in with even more straight up guitars that I'm not used to hearing, "One More Summer" is actually one of my more favorite songs on the album. It's positive vibes bring memories of listening to The Sound's latest albums. It is a very chorus heavy song, allowing the listener to catch onto it's message and vibe very quickly.

I was most excited to listen to the title song, "Push and Shove" to get the real feel of the album. They put it four songs in, probably just to torture me. To my dismay, the song was definitely a reggae song in the style of "Rock Steady", my least favorite chapter in No Doubt's history. That being said, there were a few ska elements in the song, most notably during the rap bits, with some trumpets, but the over all feel is that of their most recent songs.

Luckily not all hope is lost, as there is another solo-esque Gwen track in the midst called "Easy". I know it may be splitting hairs to call a No Doubt song a solo Gwen track, but there is a fine line there. This track in particular is a bit slower, with an extended intro that becomes a recurring theme throughout the song. The song is all about taking it easy, as obvious as it sounds, but it is a really relaxing track.

"Gravity" is another strong new-age-ND sounding song. While it is not the old school "Tragic Kingdom" feel to it, I am really liking the new sound. The song is all about feeling lucky to just have each other, and having someone that you can connect to without any effort. People who have that really are lucky, which makes the song either relatable or a source of envy for the listener. Don't take things for granted and don't wish yourself away.

Exploring even more new territory for the group, "Undercover" branches into electronic music, fitting in quite well with today's radio play. As much as I like this song in particular, it annoys me a bit that the group would "go there", for lack of a better phrase. The song is very.... not them. It is radio-friendly and common place for today. That being said, the song is pretty good. Conflicting, right? Well that's me.

As I listen to this album, I'm constantly surprised by what they have come up with. Each song is almost a completely different genre, and "Undone" is no different. It's an unplugged style song with an almost overpowering acoustic guitar. The song feels almost country, to the point to where I didn't even finish the song due to it's overpowering difference. Next song, please.

The next song brings us back to something familiar for the band, at least. Another islander sounding track, "Sparkle", is brought into the mix, feeling all too familiar to songs I've heard before, further destroying all my hopes for this album.

"Heaven" is the first song on the album that really feels like a true No Doubt song -- and it is one of the last. The vibe is right, Gwen's voice is perfect, and it made my heart smile. I wish that the entire album was like this song -- it is what they promised after all. The lyrics may not be overly deep, but there's something about this song that instantly took me back the good old days. If this song isn't a future single the world is retarded.

I hate to sound like a broken record here, but seriously, "Dreaming The Same Dream" literally has riffs lifted from solo Gwen material. Did they spend too much time touring that they had to pick up scraps from her (fabulous) solo career to complete an album. It's just too pop for me, at least for a No Doubt album.

The special edition of the album has a few remixes, but nothing too impressive.

I can't quite find the words to describe how unhappy I am with this album. I don't think the English language has the correct wording for it without pandering into "hater" territory. Don't get me twisted, I love No Doubt. They have been a part of my life since I was in diapers, more or less, but this album is just too far away from their glory days. They did a lot of exploration in this album, to the point to where over half of the entire work felt like a waste.

I don't mean to set out to rip this album apart, but I don't see any other options. There are some redeemable parts to the album, and I'm sure for kids born in the past fifteen years who never got to experience "Tragic Kingdom" or "Return Of Saturn", the album might even be good. It's like they were trying far too hard to please today's radio stations, while completely alienating their fans and what made them popular in the first place.

Please No Doubt, at least for the fans, make "Heaven" a single.

You can buy the album on iTunes. I suggest previewing it first, to see if this is your cup of tea.