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This is
a difficult review for me to write. After all, I’ve loved Gwen Stefani ever since I
first saw her live—during the Tragic Kingdom tour. I’ve always admired her
attitude and her flair—and the great music that she and the rest of No Doubt kept
releasing, album after album. So when Gwen decided to go solo, I couldn’t wait to hear
what she could do on her own.
But alas, after listening to Love.
Angel. Music. Baby., I’ve found that ignorance is bliss.
The album
opens with a comfortable song—“What You Waiting For?” By comfortable, I
mean it’s what I would have expected from Gwen. It’s catchy yet cool and edgy. Next
comes “Rich Girl”—another different yet undeniably danceable song. Then comes “Hollaback
Girl”—and that’s where it starts to go downhill. I’ll admit that the song has grown on
me. It’s catchy, and it’s funny—and if it were by anyone else (like the pop-tartlet of
the week), I’d probably kinda (secretly) like the song. But coming from Gwen, it’s
disappointing.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. has a fun retro sound
with some hip-hop mixed in—but some of the songs bring me back to days (and CD purchases)
I’d rather forget. And the lyrics themselves lack the Gwen-Stefani-strong-woman-edginess
that fans have come to know and love. In some songs (like “Hollaback Girl” and the
horrendous “Bubble Pop Electric”), Gwen reverts back to high school immaturity
(again…fine for pop-tartlets, bad for Gwen Stefani). There are a few too many plugs for
L.A.M.B. (Gwen’s new clothing line). And Gwen’s bizarre obsession with Harajuku girls is
just plain weird.
While is definitely has its moments, Love. Angel.
Music. Baby. is something I’d never really expect from Gwen Stefani—high on
self-indulgence and low on substance. Instead of buying the whole CD, pick up the first
two or three tracks from iTunes, and avoid the rest.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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