No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom
welcome back to the Skaject folks! this week, we’re listening to No Doubt’s biggest record – Tragic Kingdom.
man Tragic Kingdom is not at all overrated – id heard plenty about and from this album before a full listen, but it is definitely surprising exactly how much here just works so well. i was first introduced to No Doubt through Spiderwebs, from its feature in the Guitar Hero games, but id heard the other singles from this album and spent a month or two absolutely devouring Sunday Morning on repeat, so none of this is a surprise, but its still sometimes wild to confirm on a record.
musically, theres quite a large range in variety – classic ska influences like Spiderwebs or World Go ‘Round to more conventionally pop-rockier stuff on Happy Now?, the synths used throughout Just A Girl, some disco stuff on You Can Do It, and theres even some of that carnival/player piano sounds on parts of Excuse Me Mr.. its pretty impressive the range of sounds, and how much of it is catchy and fun and just a good time. i also really like how its set up to flow – kicking off with Spiderwebs and having the hits spread across the whole record keeps it feelin fresh the whole time. The Climb works really well as a mid-album peak, and placing the title track as the closer is a really strong move.
obv, Gwen Stefani kicks it out of the park vocally. def meets the range of songs and puts in an excellent performance across the record.
lyrically, the tracks paint a picture of a difficult entry into the world – Excuse Me Mr. and Just a Girl so close to the start set this tone, and whether its romance or broader social relationships, the tracks here are angry and energetic but bitterwseet and, in cases like Happy Now? or End It On This, wistful.
real good record. but cmon. this was nominated for several grammys. im not breaking any new ground by telling you to listen to 1995 classic Tragic Kingdom, am i. if you havent though…. you should.
faves – Spiderwebs, Just A Girl, Different People, Sunday Morning, Don’t Speak, End It On This
dislikes –
Tragic Kingdom – 9/10
later this week, our record is Voodoo Glow Skull’s Firme!
previous: The Story So Far... | next: Firme
previous No Doubt release: The Beacon Street Collection | next: Rock Steady
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