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rfmcdonaldIt was the unexpected praise of a usually critical co-worker that prompted me to go down to the HMV and buy Gwen Stefani's Love. Angel. Music. Baby. this morning. I'd been debating the idea with myself for a while--yes, I liked the singles I heard occasionally, but did I want to make the investment?
After listening to the entire album through two or three times today, I'm happy that I did. The first four tracks--also the first four singles--of "What You Waiting For?", "Rich Girl", "Hollaback Girl", and "Cool" are obvious standouts, catchy brilliant pop gems. The rest of the album is equally skilled in its melange of old-style rock and roll, 80's New Wave, and the latest trends in popular music. The mock girl-group lyricism of "Bubble Pop Electric" is easy on the ear, and "The Real Thing" sounds so like a New Order track that I half-expected Bernard Sumner to provide guest vocals. Of the album's 12 tracks, only "Harajuku Girls" turns me off with its encyclopedic travel-guide detail.
The question of originality is often brought up. How much of this did she create herself, how much of it did she let others create around her? Myself, I don't think that the precise origins of her music matter so much as people might think. I'm not interested in judging her integrity as an artist. Rather, I want to know if these songs are good, if they'll have me humming along or singing along to the lyrics. They do these things quite nicely. Why knock bricolage?
After listening to the entire album through two or three times today, I'm happy that I did. The first four tracks--also the first four singles--of "What You Waiting For?", "Rich Girl", "Hollaback Girl", and "Cool" are obvious standouts, catchy brilliant pop gems. The rest of the album is equally skilled in its melange of old-style rock and roll, 80's New Wave, and the latest trends in popular music. The mock girl-group lyricism of "Bubble Pop Electric" is easy on the ear, and "The Real Thing" sounds so like a New Order track that I half-expected Bernard Sumner to provide guest vocals. Of the album's 12 tracks, only "Harajuku Girls" turns me off with its encyclopedic travel-guide detail.
The question of originality is often brought up. How much of this did she create herself, how much of it did she let others create around her? Myself, I don't think that the precise origins of her music matter so much as people might think. I'm not interested in judging her integrity as an artist. Rather, I want to know if these songs are good, if they'll have me humming along or singing along to the lyrics. They do these things quite nicely. Why knock bricolage?
