Breaking away -- even temporarily -- from a band that's helped forge a personal identity is a tall order for any singer, but Gwen Stefani proved up to the task on her solo debut, {|Love. Angel. Music. Baby|}. And while Stefani maintains that {|No Doubt|} is still a going concern, she uses this outing to further establish that she's not only comfortable but completely...
Read moreBreaking away -- even temporarily -- from a band that's helped forge a personal identity is a tall order for any singer, but Gwen Stefani proved up to the task on her solo debut, {|Love. Angel. Music. Baby|}. And while Stefani maintains that {|No Doubt|} is still a going concern, she uses this outing to further establish that she's not only comfortable but completely fearless in her solo travels. Stefani is agreeably generous with spoonfuls of sugar, sprinkling tantalizing hooks throughout the disc like fairy dust. She's not, however, averse to delivering the element of surprise -- as she proves by cleaving the booty-centric "Wind It Up" with interludes of yodeling that transport the listener to the hills occupied by {|The Sound of Music|}'s Von Trapp family. Demonstrating a keen awareness that in the pop music world, producers help mold the message, Stefani surrounds herself with the cream of the knob-twiddling crop here, letting {|Pharrell Williams|} push her experimental buttons on the bracing "Breaking Up" and joining {|Swizz Beatz|} on a low-rider cruise through "Now That You Got It." The Sweet Escape isn't all rough beats and hard edges, though. Gwen's girly side shines through on an alluring group of ballads, notably "Early Winter," on which she's ably assisted by {|Keane|} keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley, and "4 in the Morning," a drift into the ether that showcases the vulnerability inherent in her voice. That combination of sugar and spice helps The Sweet Escape live up to its title -- this disc whisks the listener away on an unforgettable ride.
