Issue date: 12/8/04 Section: Arts

Gwen Stefani has always had an affinity for the past. With her band No Doubt she incorporated her love of ska with alternative style rock; but Gwen has left both the boys and guitars of No Doubt in favor of synthesizers and dance tracks. L.A.M.B. or Love Angel Music Baby marks Stefani's solo debut and has sold more records in its opening week than any other No Doubt release.

Stefani, once considered to be just a flash in the pan star, has in the past few years become a household name, rising to pop icon status. With No Doubt proving its staying power, Stefani has become one of the most recognizable faces of pop music and fashion. Recently she unveiled her own line of clothing and handbags with the same moniker as her album. On L.A.M.B., Stefani attempts to totally define herself as an individual performer, something that is hard to do as a member of a successful group dynamic.

Stefani tries out all the best of '80s and early '90s dance pop on the album. Her sound ranges from Salt-N-Peppa type jams to New Order-esque guitar riffs. One of the reasons for the eclectic style of L.A.M.B. is the number of collaborators that Stefani brought in for production. The Neptunes, Andre 3000 from Outkast, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were all among the producers on the album, not to mention Dr. Dre's work on the track "Rich Girl," which once again features Stefani dueting with rapper Eve.

Not only does the sound of L.A.M.B. differ from Stefani's work with No Doubt, but as does the subject matter. Many of the song lyrics are playful and personal in nature; something that Stefani could not always pull off with her band mates. Dance-offs, vehicular sex and living in the lap of luxury are just a few of the subjects Stefani toys with. The first single "What You Wating For?" deals with Stefani's nervousness of going solo by transforming her anxiety into a bouncy club track. "Hollaback Girl" has a pounding beat that makes you want stomp your feet on the floor, while "Bubble Pop Electric" revisits when the '80s revisited the '50s. Perhaps one of Stefani's most unique efforts is the track "Luxurious," where Gwen gets straight up gangsta (or gansta wanna be at least)! Borrowing the same Isley Brothers' sample that Notorious B.I.G. used on "Big Poppa," Stefani talks about all life's pleasures including champagne, Egyptian cotton and "the hydroponic love" (if you catch my drift).

One of Stefani's new obsessions has found itself a title track. "Harajuku Girls" is Stefani's ode to the Harajuku youth and fashion culture of Japan. Mentioned continuously throughout the album the Harajuku girls (which means cool and cute in Japanese) are a major influence to Stefani's clothing line and have been bringing them to appearances and performances.

For her first solo effort, it seems Stefani has made something that's no great work of art but definitely a great work of fun pop. She takes the keyboards that were so familiar to her ska roots in No Doubt and synthesizes it up with plenty of bleeps and blips. Stefani set out to make a dance record, in that aspect she has definitely succeeded. The album does have its rougher spots, but as Stefani said in a recent Spin magazine interview, she has no problem being "your guilty pleasure."

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