Have you heard? Gwen Stefani is 30.  Yes, that dreadfully old age; how will she ever survive? With this album, she and her band mates in No Doubt have officially joined the ranks of alternative/rock bands such as Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind in the "VH1 crowd", left off of MTV because they're too "old" to be trendy.  Not only are they just on the VH1 Countdowns, but they have also been on (gasp!) Behind The Music.  They're done for!

    Luckily, like a fine wine, No Doubt actually does get better with age.  Although cheated out of any catchy hit singles, many of the tracks on this album are harder and more musically daring than the "classic" ska format that has always worked wonders for No Doubt.  Worry not, "classic No Doubt" fan, not every track is as slow as "Simple Kind Of Life"; besides "Ex-Girlfriend", "New", the single from Go (you know, from "old school" No Doubt?), has been included for your dancing/moshing pleasure.  For those who don't mind a change of format, however, these tracks would be great.  Sampling of quirky sounds is heard in several tracks ("Suspension Without Suspense" comes to mind), while "Home Now" sounds like it could've been a drunken Billy Corgan's attempt at ska (but wait! he's also over-30!).  As if that's not enough, try listening to the riffs of "Too Late", "Staring Problems", or (ready for this?) an almost-5 minute instrumental hidden track, complete with piano.  As always, I over-exaggerated just a teensy bit.  There are, indeed, some super-ska-rific sounds on this record, but, with the exception of "Six Feet Under" and "Ex-Girlfriend", nothing that can compare, commercially, to older No Doubt material.  

    These tracks are for the most part great, but there is one major thing holding them back, which is, somewhat oddly enough, Gwen Stefani.  Stefani's lyrics and energy surrounding her serious breakup with longtime boyfriend and bass player Tommy saved Tragic Kingdom from total obscurity, but she let her biological clock take over too much in writing this album.  Every song is either about, or has references to settling down, getting married, and having children.  Stefani's new image on stage is that of a confused girl in a wedding gown, not knowing where her life is going, just that it's not going the "right" way.  This album is Gwen Stefani's mid-life crisis.  Much as how her fellow band mates were eclipsed in 1997 with Tragic Kingdom, this album is too feminine for them, too Gwen for the boys, and thus, although good, sounds at many points forced on their behalf.  However, because this album is so personal regarding the subject of feeling old, which happens to everyone, she is connected at least on an idealogical and emotional level to her late 20s-30 somethings audience; and that's what makes a band popular on VH1 and not MTV.  But what now? Is this the end of over 10 years of No Doubt? Probably, because, unfortunately, where she was once a fiery rebellious ball of energy, Stefani's now just a woman in the world...