The sophomore solo effort from No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani capitalizes on the qualities that made her debut, LOVE ANGEL MUSIC BABY, a success, namely the hip-hop-infused club sound she laid down on that album's smash single "Hollerback Girl." As on LAMB, SWEET ESCAPE boasts production work from the Neptunes, among other talented trackmasters (including Akron and No Doubt member Tony Kanal).
In general, Stefani backs off the new wave aesthetic she's usually associated with, although tunes like "Wonderful Life" and "Florescent" still burst with the quirky pop energy of the early 1980s. Instead, the majority of THE SWEET ESCAPE revels in the flashy glamour of the club vibe (as the cover photo of Stefani in sunglasses and platinum suggests), riding propulsive, rickety beats and singalong choruses, as on the hands-in-the-air title track or the Neptunes-helmed single "Wind It Up" (which features samples from THE SOUND OF MUSIC). The album missteps occasionally, but there is enough fun, fizzy dance-pop here to keep Stefani in the spotlight, and to satisfy her growing legion of fans.
What the critics say...
Entertainment Weekly (p.94) - "THE SWEET ESCAPE has a surprisingly moody, lightly autobiographical feel." -- Grade: B-
Q (p.106) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Stefani maintains an admirably off-kilter sound, catchy yet electronically edgy."
