No Doubt has always been a band unafraid of change. Their debut album was an awful mix of Two Tone era ska and jarring melodies. The follow up, the hugely popular Tragic Kingdom successfully mixed third wave ska rhythms with pop punk smarts. Their third album, Return of Saturn, showed off the influence that 80s new wave had on the band. It was a darker record, more serious and very hard, for this reviewer at least, to get into. With that in mind, the band began focusing on their 4th album late last year. As they started to gather ideas, lead singer Gwen Stefani remembered the huge dance parties the band would have after it's live shows while touring in support of Saturn. That's the vibe the band tries to capture on the album, released today and titled Rock Steady.

Upon my first listen to the record, the first thing I noticed was that no two songs sounded even remotely alike. The band worked with a variety of producers on this album, mostly because, according to Stefani, no producer was available for any long length of time. Most likely, that may have been the best break the band could've caught. The other thing that sets this record apart is that it was recorded and released in less than a year. On previous efforts, No Doubt wasn't known for their quickness in getting new material out.

The opening 25 second intro track is kind of odd. It sounds a lot like a 50s style pop vocal track. It's then that you're flung straight into the funky stylings of Hella Good. Co-written with The Neptunes (last seen making Britney Spears into even more of a Lolita wannabe), it pulses with a sweet bassline and some nice guitar touches. Producer Nellee Hooper has made this a mint dance track that at the very least will make you bob your head to the beat.

Next up is the first single, Hey Baby, one of two songs produced by the been around the block a few times reggae team of Sly and Robbie. It took a while for this song to grow on me but I'm convinced now that it's a bona fide smash. I like the subject matter of the song (groupies), but what I like most is the guest appearance by Jamaican dancehall DJ Bounty Killer. His voice is as cool as it gets (there's something about performers like him that I just gravitate to) and his performance on the track sparkles with energy that usually doesn't come from guest performers.

The disco stylings of Making Out follows, and this song at the moment is one of those songs where I can't decide if I like it or not, even after 9 or 10 run-throughs. Producer William Orbit puts his trademark sound on the song, but I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I like the distorted bassline. But the general feel of the song is harder to get into. The jury's out on this one.

Underneath It All is far and away the best song on the record. It's got the jamaican reggae/ska vibe all over it. The horns in the background on the chorus are perfectly placed. I also really like Stefani's vocal performance on this one, which is something I don't say very often with this band. She lets the melody dictate where her voice goes, and when she does that, she shows how good of a singer she can really be. It's too bad that ska/reggae is out right now as far as trends go, because this song could be huge. Lady Saw makes a cool as hell appearance a la Bounty Killer, and helps make the song even more infectious.

Detective takes the reggae/ska influence of the last song and adds in a hip hop element that brings a whole new dimension to No Doubt's sound. The chugging bass is excellent, and I like the seductiveness in Gwen's voice, even though this song is about a break up.

Ric Ocasek (formerly of The Cars)'s influence as producer can be found all over the new wave and bouncy Don't Let Me Down. Guitarist Tom Dumont is finally heard in some kind of leading role, and the synthesizer gives the song a nice little hook. This is one of only two or three songs that comes anywhere close to the old No Doubt sound.

The Jamaican influence can be heard again on Start the Fire, but personally, I think it's the weakest of the Jamaican songs by far. I like the chorus, which is catchy enough, and the transition from chorus to verse is cool as well, but there isn't enough here for my tastes.

Running sounds like an outtake from the Return of Saturn sessions or something. It feels SO out of place on this record, and brings the mood down greatly. It's not a bad song, but it just doesn't belong on this record at all.

In My Head is bouncy and kind of creeps in but ultimately is nothing more than some annoying noises with Gwen's voice. This song gives me a HEADACHE but nothing else.

After that monstrosity, the band redeems itself with the second track produced by Ocasek, Platinum Blonde Life. Dumont gets another chance to shine and this song rocks. As you listen you might notice it sounds a lot like good Garbage (the band you dolt!).

Waiting Room is the song that was co-written by Prince. A lot of people have been waiting breathlessly for this song. It's got a cool beat, although I'm not quite sure that the R&B vocal stylings this song calls for is something Stefani should've been given the job of pulling off. (Her duet with Eve aside, I don't think Stefani would be very good at the genre)

The title track closes the album out extremely strong. It mixes all of No Doubt's influences that came out on this album really well, from the reggae/ska to the more electronic sounds that truly prevade the album.

This is definitely a step up for this band. The best warning I could give fans is that this album is VERY different. It incorporates a lot of electronic sounds, beeps, and a whole lot of programming. It's a thousand degrees away from anything the band has done before, at least for the most part. But then again, in my eyes, that's why it's kind of refreshing.



Recommended: Yes