The most eclectic album (perhaps) released by No Doubt

Last April i No Doubt they performed at Coachella but, as stated by Gwen Stefanithe future is all to be written and said There are no programs in sightthey would. The group’s latest album, “Push and shove”is a dozen years away and the penultimate, “Rock steady”even twenty-three years. In fact, it was December 11, 2001 when the Californian band released a record with a strong Jamaican reggae inspiration, albeit full of other musical influences. What you can read below is the review of the album compiled for us by Diego Ancordi.

No Doubt have arrived at the new millennium not without scars: in their fifteen-year career they have survived several battles with the help and esteem of many high-caliber colleagues who collaborated on the success of their records. They brilliantly overcame the abandonment of singer Eric Stefani (who became one of the designers of the successful cartoon series “The Simpsons”) and some tormented internal sentimental vicissitudes by seeking new inspiration. They have in fact broadened their horizons, frequented numerous dancehalls and traveled here and there around the world. The quartet seems to have found much of its new lifeblood, especially in Jamaica (it is not for nothing that this new work is entitled “Rocksteady”, the name of one of the ska evolutions of reggae), but not only there.

The Caribbean island opened its studios to the Californian band thanks to the interest of the famous producer couple Sly & Robbie, two of the main responsible for the new “made in Jamaica” sound. They are the ones who produce “Hey baby” (a splendid ragga in their classic style) and the sunny reggae of “Underneath it all” (broken up by a semi-acoustic part and a raggamuffin insert), written by Gwen Stefani together with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics .

But the raggamuffin also dominates in “Start the fire”, produced by another pair of top producers: Steely & Clevie. Jamaica is also the muse for the gospel reggae of “In my head” and the dub-rocksteady of the title track.

Ric Ocasek’s production is instead heard in the more rock songs (“Rock steady” also indicates an album divided between the harshness of rock and Jamaican rhythms), namely “Don’t let me down” and “Platinum blonde life” , and that of William Orbit transforms “Hey baby” into a disco hit single, while Prince co-produces the best moment of the album with the American quartet: the brilliant “Waiting room”, tense and electronic, with an unmistakably distinctive melody “Tafkap” sung in the chorus in doo-wop style over reggae rhythm. There’s a nice splash of pop on everything, but “Rock Steady” is perhaps the most eclectic album released by No Doubt so far.