No Doubt - Singles 1992-2003 (CD)

All Music Guide

A band like No Doubt was made for an album like The Singles 19922003. While they made good albums and each of their albums had its own character they shined as a singles band, which is only appropriate for a band raised on new wave, the last golden era of singles. Unlike the grunge and indie bands that populated the first two waves of the altrock explosion of the early '90s, No Doubt wasn't directly inspired by punk, indie, or any underground rock movement; the band was fueled by new wave, in all of its trashy, poppy glory. Above all, they were inspired by ska revival groups like Madness, with their blend of skittish Jamaicaninspired beats and sense of English popcraft, but they also picked up various strands of earlyMTV pop, whether it was bits of new wave Blondie, the Police, and Elvis Costello, or the metallic guitar wallop of Van Halen. It was a cheerful, giddy sound that marked a sea change from the sound of the early '90s, when even catchy melodies were cloaked in a sense of gl...oom. So, with the success of their second album, Tragic Kingdom, in 1996, they kicked off the second wave of the altrock boom of the '90s the time when the music meant good times, not angst and alienation. While some of the bands that rode on their coattails were unabashed onehit wonders and commercialized revamps of underground sounds, No Doubt was something rare: a hip mainstream singles band. They were an outgrowth of new wave, releasing indie albums before their big break, and they stayed true to their inspirations while cleverly adding elements of contemporary hits to their sound and, in doing so, became a '90s version of a new wave band that placed equal emphasis on hooks, style, videos, and cool, radioready singles. Read more Less