This September 2012, American rock band No Doubt releases their fifth studio album, Push and Shove. The group’s natural camaraderie, not to mention the musical alchemy that occurs when these four friends reunite, is palpable throughout the band’s new album which is a supercharged blend of ska-rock, dancehall, and 80s electronic pop that will remind people why No Doubt has maintained its position as one of the most beloved and commercially successful acts of the past 20 years.
Though the reception has been mixed for dancehall-inflected lead single “Settle Down,” there are singles to spare on Push and Shove, many of which rival and occasionally harken back to their biggest hits. “Looking Hot,” for example, is a guitar-heavy rave-up in the style of 2001’s “Hella Good,” but with a surprise Jamaican horn breakdown straight out of “Spiderwebs.” Then there’s “Undone,” the closest No Doubt has come to a reaching-for-the-rafters power ballad since “Don’t Speak.”
Recorded across Los Angeles over a two-year-plus time period with producer/mixer Mark “Spike” Stent, Push and Shove begs to be played live. And indeed, the band will preview the album at the iHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas before kicking off a small residency at Los Angeles’ Gibson Amphitheater in December.
No Doubt has achieved a lot as a band, including releasing several multi-platinum albums (1995’s diamond-certified Tragic Kingdom, 2001’s Rock Steady, and a 2003 singles collection) and a string of chart-topping hits (“Just A Girl,” “Don’t Speak,” “Hey Baby,” “Hella Good,” “Underneath It All,” and “It’s My Life”). They’ve launched international sold-out tours, won two Grammy Awards and five MTV Video Music Awards, and were invited to perform for Paul McCartney and the President at the annual Kennedy Center Honors in 2010.
Lead singer Gwen Stefani has further emerged as a global music and fashion icon via two best-selling solo albums and her L.A.M.B., Harajuku Lovers and Harajuku Mini clothing lines. Through all the success, the band members have remained grounded by a long-standing friendship that began when Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young — bonded by a shared love of ’80s British New Wave and ska bands — began performing together in their hometown of Anaheim, CA.
No Doubt’s Push and Shove is now available in CDs at Astroplus and Odyssey Music & Video or online via iTunes or www.MyMusicStore.com.ph. Special thanks to: BusinessWorld and HerWord.com
