September 19, 2002
No Doubt : Underneath It All
...harks back to No Doubt’s original obsession with Caribbean ska and reggae...
It was a soppy song, ‘Don’t Speak’, that first made No Doubt's name all those years ago. Now, of course, we know them as a perky, genre-hopping pop unit, all up-beats and primary colours, fronted by a real life Powerpuff Girl. But, "underneath it all", Gwen’s got a heart of candyfloss, and here it is, spinning out all over this single.
‘Underneath It All'’s lilting Jamaican feel harks back toNo Doubt’s original obsession with Caribbean ska and reggae, and boasts an intervention by Lady Saw that does an excellent job of sexing up all the sugar. "You’re really lovely/Underneath it all," moons Gwen. "Aside from your temper/Everything is secure," warns Lady Saw. Hope Gavin’s taking notes.
Kitty Empire
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