Just as we were expecting Gwen Stefani to return to singing lead vocals for No Doubt, she releases her second solo album, The Sweet Escape. This time, she's a little less pop and a little bit more R&B than in her debut Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Despite the occasional shoddy rapping from Stefani, this is not a bad effort, although you need to give it a few listens.
The album opens with Wind It Up, sampling The Lonely Goatherd from the classic musical The Sound of Music. The popular song has been played all over the world, but it has received mixed reviews.
But the album has more to offer than sampled show tunes. Stefani weaves 80s, 90s, dance, pop, reggae, hip hop, electronic and R&B into her tracks.
The collaborations with A-list artists are impressive. The Neptunes and Nellee Hooper are back. New partners include Pharell, who worked with her on the mellow, hip-wiggling number Yummy.
The songs on The Sweet Escape are a random, typically 'Gwen' mix of different styles.