I Miss Gwen Stefani’s 2004 ‘Love. Angel. Music. Baby’ Era
Gwen Stefani can do no wrong, musically. Her sweet, syrupy, slightly nasally voice is one of the most recognizable in rock — and her buoyant stage energy is infectious.
And while she’s more of a pop star than SoCal alt rocker in the 21st century, I’m such a rabid Stefani fan that I couldn’t wait to hear her 2024 album Bouquet. While I’m not a rabid country music fan, I was psyched to have a minute over the busy holiday season to stream it.
But after streaming the kinda-cool new-wave-ish opener, “Someone Else’s,” I found myself craving something else: Gwen Stefani’s 2004 solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
I won’t trash Bouquet or criticize Stefani’s labor of love. Others have done this already. Stefani fans aren’t excited about what one Rolling Stone critic characterized as the “ex-SoCal punk’s rebranding as a down-home country gal.”
The Pitchfork review is probably the one that reflects the my feelings most accurately:
“Throughout the album’s 10 songs, Stefani defines herself as a devoted partner in terms so bland that they seem straight out of Stepford.”
That’s why there’s no time like the present to stream Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Released 20 years (and a few months) ago, Stefani’s first solo album post-No Doubt is a fun, dance-pop experience that’s cool but also punk rock too (like Cyndi Lauper).
My favorite, the super-catchy electro-pop opening track, “What You Waiting For?” (produced by Linda Perry), is pure bliss for the soul, reminding every “super-hot female” to seize the day. The next track, “Rich Girl,” which features Eve, is bouncy and chill, with an intoxicating reggaeton vibe. And while I didn’t initially love the third track “Hollaback Girl” because of the bananas rant, it’s now one of my all-time favorites.
I think what I love most about LAMB is that it is a body of work that celebrates self-love and discovery. Every track, from the buoyant, retro “Bubble Pop Electric” (featuring Johnny Vulture, aka Andre 3000) to “Cool,” is a sweet, melodic, soft-rock ode to befriending your ex, stands out. While the album generated some controversy around the appropriation of Harajuku girls and Japanese culture, most critics rightfully praised the album as a unique artistic achievement.
That’s not to say I don’t think it’s a lovely thing to create a country album inspired by your country-music-playing partner. I support that. But I would still really love to hear a LAMB-esque follow-up release in 2025 or 2026. There is no one who can sing like Gwen Stefani. And her fans would love more of the old-school Stefani that they came to love when they first discovered her music.
Marisa Torrieri Bloom is the editor and founder of Rockmommy.
