Slick and shiny, there is no denying the catchiness of Push and Shove, the first album in 11 years from Orange County rockers No Doubt. Producer Mark Stent’s credits span Lady Gaga to P. Diddy, and his skill at crafting mass-appeal music is evident. Tony Kanal’s superb bass skills are one of the few remnants of the ’90s No Doubt sound, as they’ve traded in their horns (mostly) for synthesizers and drum machines. Gwen Stefani’s solo career is clearly the heading the band has decided upon, but the instant classic “Undercover” becomes a beautiful melding of both the old and new.
★★★ (out of 5 stars)
