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Underground > Radio & Music >

Sweet Escape

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02:53 / 07.12.06

So, what did you all think? I'm really loving this... In fact, I think it's one of this year's top three pop albums, along with Paris Hilton's "Paris" and Utada Hikaru's "Ultra Blue". It's one of those albums where almost all the songs sound like they could be singles. I'm also loving Stefani's new "crack whore" look (her words, not mine). I'm still not sure yet if I like it more then her first solo album (which had some killer singles like "Rich Girl" and "Cool"), guess I'll have to give this one some time. Is it just me, or does Stefani's voice remind anyone else of Siouxsie Sioux (a high compliment from me, as Siouxsie's my favorite female vocalist)?

Favorite tracks: "Wind it Up" (which is oddly catchy for a song that doesn't really have a strong melodic hook... maybe it's the yodeling that sells this one?), "The Sweet Escape" (which sounds like it should be the second single, it's insanely catchy), "Early Winter", "Yummy" (which has a very minimal, very skeletal sound with really cool sound effects), "Don't Get it Twisted" (great chorus), and so on.

14:22 / 07.12.06

I'm really liking it as well. I think the first album's a bit better, primarily because there's a few more of those incredible 80s sound pop tracks, but this is like the Amenesiac to that album's Kid A, they go very well together. I actually think 'Wind It Up' is the weakest track on there, everything else ranges from good to great. The title track is great, 'Early Winter' and '4 in the Morning' are perfect pop songs, 'Orange County Girl' has a nice, surprisingly dark vibe and 'Now that You Got It' is a great mix of classic sounding pop hook with more modern, Neptunesish stuff. But, the highlight for me is 'A Wonderful Life' which sounds like the greatest single Depeche Mode never released.

23:27 / 08.12.06

Haven't had time to listen to it much but so far "Now That You Got" is very straightforward and nice, even if lyrically boring and "Long Way To Go" is just plain weird enough in its sentiment to be worthy of attention (not because of the sentiment itself, but the context...) besides skipping along in a merrily satisfying way, sure.

The rest sounds rather crap and dull so far, though.

Regrettable Juvenilia

09:37 / 20.12.06

The Depeche Mode comparison is very much OTM, I think: the strongest stuff, the sort of heart of this album seems to be the synth-heavy power ballads - 'Early Winter', 'Fluorescent', 'Wonderful Life'. Having said that I think 'Wind It Up' is a grower and basically gets better the more loudly you hear it as well as the more often you do, and I have a fondness for the half-gawky, half-accomplished rap on 'Now That You Got It'. I think a lot of the appeal of Gwen Stefani for me is to do with this: the fact that she's sort of super-cool, but also hopelessly goofy and weird and awkward and geeky half the time.

The title track is also very, very good, I think, although I can't help but suddenly start singing "True Blue, baby I love you!" at one point in the chorus. I need to give the whole album a few more listens but for now I'm thinking that, while it doesn't surpass its predecessor, it's a solid effort. Ugh, what a horribly condescending critical term. But you know what I mean.