After their successful 1995 album, "Tragic Kingdom" which
sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and launched a series of hits, No Doubt is
back after a long absence with their new album "Return of Saturn."
This album took two years for the band to produce, and
the time lag has been rumored due to the aging of the band.
A much mature sound, and steering away from the ska-based beat
they have always been associated with, No Doubt comes back on
with an album that returns to its alternative roots.
“Return of Saturn” is a bit darker than it was on "Tragic Kingdom",
but it's no less energetic. The chorus of "Ex-Girlfriend"
and "Staring Problem" explode with in-your-face
fury, while "Bathwater" is propelled by New Orleans-style
horns, a bouncy rhythm, and a snaky guitar figure from Tom
Dumont. "Six Feet Under" boasts an energetic, bop-till-you-drop
'80s feel, and ska-mongers No Doubt also dip into reggae ("Home
Now," "Marry Me") and tango ("Comforting
Lie") to good effect.
But it's the lush melodicism of "A Simple Kind of Life"
and "Magic's in the
Makeup" and the ambient moodiness of "Suspension
Without Suspense" and "Dark Blue" that really
add resonance to the album. That, combined with the group's
confident style-hopping throughout, makes "Return of Saturn"
an assured step forward rather than a victim of follow-up
pressures.
