No Doubt – No Doubt
welcome back to the Skaject folks! today we’ve got another band that’s new to the project: No Doubt! No Doubt got their start in Anahiem, CA, and released their debut album, No Doubt, in 1992. i’ve enjoyed a few No Doubt tracks that come from later in their discography, but this is my first time going back and checking out their origins.
okay them opening with BND, a sort of preview of their closer, forces me to spoil my opinion of that song. i think its a very cool song, and i think this “preprise” is a neat way to open things, especially since they carry some elements (like the prominent slap bass) over into Let’s Get Back. its a pretty good track, with an excellent sound and some really good solo, but didnt fully wow me for a few listens – i think it sneaks in at the bottom of my faves list for this album, tbh. Ache is a silly song about getting wisdom teeth pulled. i think its fun. Get On the Ball is fine. i feel like i blow right by it every time. Move On is a thesis statement for the band, of sorts. p solid. Sad For Me combines some really interesting synth segments with a lilting keyboard performance – this feels like it could be a video game track, and i mean that very positively, haha. i like this one a lot. Doormat is a funkier track, with a fun bit of attitude – really like how it drifts in and out of the funkier sounds in the choruses. i dig it. i enjoy Big City Train, because yknow what No Doubt? i also dig trains. gotta love a train love song. Trapped In a Box is about feeling, well, trapped in a box. im not huuuge on the intro for Sometimes – it takes like a full minute to build up steam, but i really like where it gets going to. Sinking’s a pretty solid commitment to the metaphor. im not like, very sold on the row your boat sections here, haha. A Little Something Refreshing is another humorous track, this time about really needing a snack. Paulina’s just fine, for me. very solid ska bonafides on this one, but lyrically/vocally this one’s a miss for me. and finally, as mentioned at the top of the review, i really like Brand New Day. the full version of the track really lets out the stops to bring things to a nice close.
faves – BND, Let’s Get Back, Sad for Me, Doormat, Sometimes, Brand New Day
dislikes –
yeah this was a really solid debut, no lie. it didnt blow me away, but theres a really strong sense of style, and its clear theyre having a ton of fun, whether thats lyrical humor like Ache or A Little Something Refreshing or playing in neat musical spaces like Brand New Day or Sad For Me. def gonna be revisiting tracks from this one, though it does mostly just get me hyped to see the next few releases, especially since i have a solid idea of where theyre going.
No Doubt – 6/10
next week we check out Sublim’s debut record, 40 oz. to Freedom
previous: Skankin’ Pickle Fever | next: 40 oz. to Freedom
this is the first No Doubt Record | next: The Beacon Street Collection
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