Gwen Stefani - This Is What The Truth Feels Like

This Is What The Truth Feels Like
Gwen Stefani
Tiger Rating: 7.5 / 10
Pop


There was a time where tuning into MTV inevitably would mean seeing Gwen Stefani and co skanking around on stage with Gwen in her cut off tank tops, plaid pants and Dr. Martins, all sweat and abs and attitude. She quickly became the most talked about woman of rock since Debbie Harry donned a garbage bag in CBGB's to the derision of some and awe of many. Fronting the band her brother began in high school, Gwen's rise to fame saw her become simultaneously an unwitting feminist icon and a doe-eyed victim of arguably the 90's most publicised break-up. She could be badass and vulnerable in the space of two songs. On stage she swaggered, did push ups, yelled and swore but also cooed, seduced and often teared up - all in one performance. This pendulum swing was Gwen on top of her game - the goofy but lovable high school nerd who morphed into the effortlessly cool, vintage wearing frontwoman (before vintage was cool), the ultra modern feminist, the old fashioned romantic, the 1920s pin-up, oozing sex appeal - she encompassed all these personas as only a true frenzied creative can.

There has always been something inherently ingenuous about Stefani's antics and output. She has next to no guile whatsoever and there is no question of a filter between what she is going through in her personal life and what she sings and writes songs about.
Even on 2004's camp and theatrical 'Love. Angel. Music. Baby' - ostensibly not a solo album but a "project" - we saw disarming glimpses of her private life. Between the couture gowns and pirate costumes, there were tracks like "Danger Zone' and 'Real Thing'. One was a plea for a lover to come clean of secrets and the other was a sumptuous love feast of grand proportions, respectively.
Once again Stefani displayed innocent honesty on what was meant to be a lighthearted indulgence of her various inspirations. She played the role of love slave and romantic avenger intent on justice like the part was made for her.



This has been her modus operandi since Tony broke up with her.
Something happens: write a song about it.
Arguably there has been so much happening in her life in the last decade that Gwen has struggled to keep up.
Clothing lines, motherhood, television contracts and a marriage on the rocks may have made it difficult for Gwen to draw from any one inspiration, though she attempted to do so on her band's attempt at a comeback in 2012. The result was a lot of overused subject matter on an album that became largely overlooked in the end.
She's not adept at multi-tasking, probably given her intensity of focus on whatever subject she is drawn to at the time. The result has always been that she never knew how to write lighthearted songs about any subjects other than love.
She tried her hand at a couple of solo tracks in 2014, resulting in rolled eyes and lukewarm receptions.
Her efforts at revisiting any former glories - be it as No Doubt's charismatic frontwoman or as 'The Queen of Cool', seemed to not have paid off.




And then, late last year, it happened. Silmutaneous reports of a divorce and a new track from Stefani surfaced. Links to the new music drew the clicks from curious fans, with the divorce rumours largely ignored (tabloids game of Cry Wolf shot themselves in the foot).
However it was absurdly clear from the content of the new track - a slow plodding narration of a relationship's demise - that her marriage must have indeed ended.
Gone were any attempts of Stefani being a dancehall queen again and here, once more, was our breakup queen - the girl who could capture, with endearing honesty - the torment of heartbreak.
Next thing we knew she was dating 'The Voice' co-star Blake Shelton.
And, well, the rest is here on this album.



The title 'This Is What The Truth Feels Like' and it's cover art of Gwen in all her Monroe-esque beauty front centre, feels like it should be an acoustic confessional; a stripped down declaration from a woman who has had her heart torn out by an evil lover and his paramour; a "dear-diary" from the victim of an epicurean tragedy.
Looks can be deceiving.
'Truth' is a jagged, schism of an album, along the lines of Adam Sandler's song to Linda in The Wedding Singer







That's not to say it isn't good, but I think the word is jarring.
Between gushing about her newest boy toy on tracks like 'You're My Favourite', 'Make Me Like You' and 'Rare', Gwen is chastising, mocking and fuming at Gavin on 'Red Flag', 'Naughty' and 'Used To Love You'.
Lyrics juxtapose themselves between adoring an lamenting.

"You're a sapphire / you're a rolling stone / you're a sparkle in a deep, black hole" she oozes on 'Rare', obviously about Blake.


"No I don't need you, not a little bit / To myself I've finally admitted it" she seethes on "Me Without You", obviously to Gavin.

And so the album goes, in true soul baring style, swinging between scorning Gavin and embracing Blake. The difference with 'Truth' is that it was written in real time, meaning there has been little space for Gwen to fully process either situation. All of her processing takes place on the album. Where before, the songwriter has always had the benefit of years to mould an album, drawing upon hindsight,  this is evidently spontaneous and plays out as such.



Musically there is a surprising amount of attempts at casting herself as a rapper. She spits fury on 'Red Flag' and 'Naughty' and she beckons seductively on 'Asking 4 It', with rapper Fetty Wap's contribution nicely complimenting her own. It seems that, in absence of drums and guitars from beloved bandmates, Stefani chooses hip-hop to burn Gavin, though she isn't quite as deft as she is when in her rock arena.


The vocals on the album are some of Stefani's best, with her full range being recounted gorgeously.
The shades and tones of 'Truth' are well balanced, considering the schizoid nature of it's inception.
Woozy pop ballads, a glittery roller-disco track, fragile laments and the snare rattling hip-hop combine to make a very pretty balance. I think what will throw people off is the fact that we've come to see Stefani as a genre queen - effortlessly leapfrogging convention and serving us reggae, jazz, new wave and R&B. The genre has usually been the star of the show and in light of having less distinct flavours this time round, the songs may appear bland or tame.
With songwriters Justin Trant and Julia Michaels shaping the songs and producers J.R. Rotem, Mattman & Robin and Greg Kurstin helming the album, production and lyrics compete for the spotlight.But both lose in the end to Gwen's overwhelming presence.
She is front centre with her uncontained emotions and sentiments.
The pop nature of the album means there are tracks that you will revisit whether you want to or not.
The earworm is strong with this one. Even on tracks that technically shouldn't work (like 'Naughty'), Gwen manages to win you over with her lyrical stabs and cocky swagger.
To echo what she said of her 2004 solo debut "You can try not to like it, but at very least it's gonna be your guilty pleasure record".



She's come a long way since her sweaty onstage antics and midriff baring youth.
She found her footing in cathartic songwriting and, in a way, has come full circle.
Evidently she is somehow still the wide-eyed romantic who never thought any of this would happen to a girl like her.

WVS