Gwen Stefani is the rare type of icon who has the capability to change the direction of pop music.
She already supposedly inspired both Britney Spears’ and Pink’s recent releases. Yet despite their more prominent status, Britney and Pink merely offer lackluster imitations. Gwen’s solo release, Love.Angel.Music.Baby in stores Tuesday, November 23, proves that she is the real thing. For her debut album, she's handpicked the best producers including Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, Andre 3000 and Linda Perry, formerly of Pink fame, to help her articulate her voice. And while Pink used Perry's genius to pen the usual grrl rock crier “Just Like A Pill,” Gwen's Perry-helmed track is her first single “What You Waiting For?,” a track incredibly fresh and different from anything else currently on mainstream radio.
“Fresh” would be the appropriate adjective to describe this solo debut, which finds Gwen reveling in wicked style as she revisits the sound of '80s synth-dance wunderkinds like Depeche Mode, L'Trimm and Missing Persons. And yet despite all of these influences, every track remains jumpin’, radio-ready and uniquely her own.
On L.A.M.B., Stefani reveals a penchant for Japanese couture, as well as her love for both spelling words out in song and hooking up in automobiles. Although the last might seem a little too racy to a longtime No Doubt listener, this is clearly Stefani's album. On “Hollaback,” over the incredible, Neptunes-produced stomp beat, she still wears her reggae and ska influences on her sleeve, but even then, this is still definitely a party track. She removes herself even further from her musical past as she convincingly sings over a freestyle club track on “Serious,” brings in some Asian strings and an uncanny Debbie Harry swagger on “Harajuku Girls,” samples a Martin Luther King speech on “Long Way To Go” and reunites with Dre and Eve for the album's second single, “Rich Girl.”
One of the album's most exciting tracks is “Bubble Pop Electric” with special guest Johnny Vulture, aka Andre 3000. Over a fizzy, pop background, with a storytelling sensibility reminscent of a Broadway musical, Gwen purrs, “Tonight, I'm going to give you all my love in the backseat” as she assumes the identity of a woman from the '20s longing for her man.
It's this brash approach to creating music that's so enticing about L.A.M.B. The girl glams it up and creates one of the year’s best releases that is both a dance record and an art/concept album.
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