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Dec. 10--3 1/2 Stars
Every generation gets the Madonna it deserves. The latest incarnation is no less a changeling than the original Material Girl, ably skipping between styles, fads and eras. But our newest Madge has ska-punk roots and is unabashedly a child of New Wave. She's also far more conversant with hip-hop than her predecessor.
Who's that girl? It's Gwen Stefani, of course, the one-time alt-rock cast-off who continues a remarkable rebirth as postmodern pop star with her busily uneven sophomore solo release, "The Sweet Escape" (Interscope).
Stefani's greatest strengths are the same as Madonna's -- a savvy sense for trends and a riveting ability to convey personality through performance. Gwen's persona is a colorful melange of hip-hop postures, synth-pop swooning and girl-group solidarity, and on the album's best songs she patently embarrasses Fergie and other pretenders by embodying sexy fun without shamelessness and emotional reach without ridiculousness.
To the former end, "Flourescent" and the title track are sublime pop tunes, while "Now That You Got It" fulfills Stefani's quota for a bracing, workout-ready banger, the lithe singing and long lyrical lines contrasting nicely with the music's martial stomp. The ballads (especially the sleekly emotive "Early Winter") are even better, which is no surprise considering that Stefani has delivered the likes of "Don't Speak" and "Cool" during her career.
Nonetheless, "The Sweet Escape" doesn't feel like nearly the event of her world-beating solo debut. Perhaps she has already ceded control of 2006 to Justin Timberlake and Beyonce, but the passably goofy trifle "Wind it Up" is a perplexing choice for a first single, and a handful of songs -- "Orange County Girl," "Yummy" and "Breakin' Up" -- are resoundingly half-baked in their conception and execution.
In other words, Stefani may have the fashion and posing down pat, but let's not hand her the Queen of Pop crown just yet.
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Copyright (c) 2006, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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