Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
OnNo Doubt's greatRock Steady, Gwen Stefani was a "girl that hangs with the boys... just sippin' on chamomile." Three years and a KROQ-nerdTalk Talkcover later, she presents a solo debut that wants it all--Vivienne WestwoodandJohn Galliano, backseat love and lifetime devotion, '70s pop throwbacks and hip-hop beats as well asClashadoration (she continues to be managed by the firm of Rebel Waltz, named for a mournfulSandinista!cut). Among the standout tracks are the stomping,Neptunes-driven "Hollaback Girl," the tongue-in-cheekEve/Dr. Drecollaboration "Rich Girl," and the girl-power manifesto "What You Waiting For?"; another tune, "The Real Thing," nods toward role-modelMadonna's "Holiday." Though it can't matchRock Steady's inexorable track-by-track flow,Love, Angel, Music, Babyis such state-of-the-art pop that the description almost feels like damning it with faint praise.--Rickey Wright