¡viva la graham!

i think we were all a little bit worried when we first heard gwen stefani’s new single. initially deemed a disposable pop retread, “wind it up” didn’t bode well for gwen’s sophomore effort, the seemingly hastily conceived the sweet escape. it isn’t flawless, but thankfully the album is much better than its preview.

without further ado, here’s my track-by-track review:

• “wind it up” - despite the yodeling and the inane lyrics, i must admit this song is one of the catchiest she’s ever done. even if it sounds like it could be a fergie track, i’ve grown to love it. in the privacy of my own home, of course.
• “the sweet escape” - the careless swagger of this track is its most endearing quality, and the chorus is nice enough. the horns don’t do much for me, really, and as i result i wonder why it was given such a primo spot. is it only because it’s the name of the album?
• “orange county girl” - the only new track she performed on the harajuku lovers tour, the hip-hop-flavored “orange county” wasn’t terribly memorable even then. i could, however, totally imagine it playing in the background at a crucial moment on laguna beach. sad but true.
• “early winter” - in a word, gorgeous. written with keane keyboardist tim rice-oxley, the song’s somber tone is complimented perfectly by its frosty metaphor. it’s the darkest track thus far, and i think it has the potential to be a huge single.

• “now that you got it” - it’s got that alarm noise that seems to be in every song these days (”london bridge” and “ring the alarm,” to name a few), but don’t let that discourage you. this potential hit is top-notch hip-pop in the vein of tlc and salt-n-pepa. it’s especially remarkable that a suburban white girl pulled it off so effortlessly.
• “four in the morning” - gwen shows her optimistic romantic side on this mid-tempo gem, another urban-inspired track that may emerge as a single. my main reaction is, woah! not just anyone can deliver three stunners in a row.
• “yummy” - i don’t dislike this one, a self-described “disco tetris.” it’s just throws me. then again, that’s the same way i felt about that other pharrell track, “hollaback girl,” when i first heard it. boy, did i eat those words. i do think one lyric in particular is amusing: “i know you’ve been waiting but i’ve been out making babies.” word!
• “flourescent” - another retro jam, this one co-written by no doubt bandmate tony kanal. this track is almost too ’80s to function, which, considering the cycles of things, it’s very of-the-moment. still, i wouldn’t rate it much above mediocre.
• “breakin’ up” - the bad phone connection isn’t the most original metaphor for a flailing relationship, so from the get-go this song is fighting an uphill battle. as it proceeds, it somehow manages to amplify the annoying bits. this is not good.
• “don’t get it twisted” - when the beat kicks in, it sounds like the circus version of “hips don’t lie” or a long lost recording from no doubt’s rock steady era. jamaica is definitely in the house, but unfortunately we don’t get anything nearly as fabulous as “hey baby.”
• “u started it” - it may be an improvement on the last few, but this still doesn’t stand tall like the top tracks before that. it’s so strange, especially after gwen said she had two albums worth of material. how did so many b-sides make the cut??
• “wonderful life” - this is more like it. slightly reminiscent of “the real thing,” one of my faves from love. angel. music. baby., this new wave number nearly redeems the questionable content that immediately preceeded it. it’s always a good idea to go out on a high note.