No Doubt
Push And Shove
Reviewed by Sam Price on 18 October 2012
Rated 3 out of 10
Key Track: Settle Down
Listen to music now on MOG
The long-awaited return of everyone’s favourite punk-chick-fronted band has done everything except for reignite our cravings for the ex-party animals.
Arriving 11 years after their last release, Push And Shove takes the group in a new, but all too familiar direction.
Replacing their in-your-face attitude and ‘no rules’ themes is an overcompensation of synth pop and radio-friendly songwriting. Since when does Ms. Stefani ever care about love and ‘settling down’?
It is easy to see a link between Stefani’s solo works and this new No Doubt instalment. This dose of material completely contrasts what we used to know the band for: raw lyrics, unrefined powerchord thrashing and an attitude to match. Sadly, it seems the (once) rocksmiths have traded in their mohawks and chains for teddy bears and chocolate milk.
If you can’t already tell, the music is less than impressive. The lead track, ‘Settle Down’, has some rare glimpses of brilliance, but it is let down by the lack of supporting material.
A cameo from Busy Signal and Major Lazer can’t even really dig this album out of the deep, dark hole in which it finds itself. The title track features the pair struggling to generate much interest, as the tune jumps from Stefani’s sustained vocal phrasing to the faster upbeat discothèque styling of the guest artists.
Many fanatics of the band will be far from impressed, while newcomers to the band’s music will have little foundation to build their obsession on. The modest comeback may appeal to some, but has most likely scared off any would-be fans.
Recent Record Reviews
Wire
Change Becomes Us
Released through Popfrenzy Records, 2013
When post-punk game-makers Wire formed in 1976, they were nothing short of sensational, quickly smashing out three astonishing albums that dominated British rock music and changed...
2 days ago
Green Stone Garden
North
Released through Independent, 2013
Hailing from Darwin, alternative rockers Green Stone Garden capture the languid feeling of their city’s humid heat. Their debut, the titled North is a small collection...
1 week ago
Kid Cudi
Indicud
Released through Republic, 2013
Indicud is the third studio album by Cleveland artist, Kid Cudi. We’ve gotten some tastes of the hip-hopper in the past few years in the form...
6 days ago
Classixx
Hanging Gardens
Released through Future Classic, 2013
Hanging Gardens is the debut for Michael Tyler and David Blake, the LA production duo better known as Classixx. It seems their music is true to...
1 week ago
Josh Abrahams
The Swim
Released through Thirty Five Music, 2013
Since Josh Abrahams’ ARIA-nominated career pinnacle “Addicted To Bass” went platinum in 1999, the once prominent member of the Melbourne underground dance community has spent most...
3 days ago
