No Doubt returns

"Return of Saturn"; No Doubt; Interscope Records.

No Doubt's 1996 release, "Tragic Kingdom," brought a young pink-haired Gwen Stefani to the attention of the MTV savvy. Her playful persona, which borders somewhere between diva and punk-rocker, was a breath of fresh air at a time when alternative rock was weighed down with women who lamented, moaned and screamed in the manner of Alanis Morissette. Stefani wanted none of that, and she still doesn't. "Return of Saturn" is a quirky, upbeat album that bears Stefani's unique Betty Boop-meets-Billie Holiday stamp.

Though Stefani's fashion sense and taste in boyfriends garners lots of media play, No Doubt's sound is worthy of some attention. Just when you think it's mere conventional rock, a sudden horn solo or an unexpected drum beat breaks in, branding the music with a fresh sound.

"Bathwater," a standout cut, epitomizes this. The song starts off with a horn instrumental, which sounds scratchy in the manner of a 1920s phonograph recording. And just when you settle in, expecting some Ellington-esque swing, you're kicked into 2001 with standard No Doubt drums. And Stefani's lyric's are a playful twist on typical Billie Holiday-style fare. As in "My Man," the blues song that Holiday made famous, Stefani croons about how bad her boyfriend is, lamenting her addiction. Yet she doesn't bring you down the way a traditional blues song can. As Stefani sings, "So I pacify problems with kisses and cuddles / Diligently doubtful through all kinds of trouble / Then I find myself choking on all my contradictions," you sort of roll your eyes and shake your head in bemusement right along with her.

Other tracks have Stefani struggling to bridge the gap between wanting independence and wanting a relationship, most notably the very old-school-ska-sounding "Marry Me." She blithely croons "I wouldn't mind if my name changed to Mrs." Her odd-sounding voice is appropriately showcased in "Simple Kind of Life," though ballads are not No Doubt's strong point.

The album has already produced two successful singles, "Ex-Girlfriend" and "New," which appears on the "Go!" soundtrack. And expect more to come. Stefani's pink head seems to have a hard time staying out of the spotlight.

"Down Here"; Tracy Bonham; Island Records.

Tracy Bonham's brassy style is everything Stefani's is not. True, the songs on her second album, "Down Here," are well-meant and earnestly written. However, she too often gets mired down in an ordinary hard-rock sound that gets tiresome after just one listen.

Back in 1996, Bonham's hit single "Mother Mother" was inevitably compared to Alanis' single "You Oughta Know." Bonham's powerful, deep voice and hard-hitting guitar licks struck a chord with Morissette fans hungry for more. It's four years later, and Bonham lacks that same freshness, though her vocals can still pack a raw, powerful punch.

Bonham's a studied violin player and consequently includes countless string instrumentals on many of these 12 tracks. Too bad her fiddling often seems besides the point and oddly placed.

Lyrically, Bonham seems to take pleasure in twisting common adages: To wit, "Behind Every Good Woman ... Lies a Trail of Men" or "You Can't Always Not Get What You Don't Want." When it works she comes across as a strong woman with a statement to make. When it doesn't, as is more often the case, lines such as "This damn horse won't buck for you anymore" make you cringe.

Two tracks, "Freed" and "Give Us Something to Feel," are exceptional. Bonham's violin instrumentals sound both eerie and entirely appropriate. And the upbeat "Thumbelina" and "Meathook" transcend the guitar-heavy style with lighter, playful hooks. But these tracks are the highlights; for the most part, Bonham remains weighed down in a morose sea of ordinariness.

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Author: Emily Friedlander