Push and Shove - No Doubt
Metascore
61 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 23
  3. Negative: 2 out of 23
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  1. Billboard.com
    Sep 21, 2012
    85
    Push and Shove is a celebration of No Doubt's love for all things 80s pop and the Southern California ska scene.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Sep 21, 2012
    83
    Gwen Stefani pogos as hard as she ever did in her Anaheim-strip-mall ska days. But she's also just as neurotic, which adds depth to her love songs. [28 Sep 2012, p.72]
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 1 out of 15
  1. jos95
    8
    It's no Tragic Kingdom, but definitely a worthy comeback for No Doubt. It continues the band's perfect mix of rock, pop, ska and 80's influences as well as keeping with current trends. The title track is awesome and fuses so many old and new genres amazingly! It makes the dancehall songs of Rock Steady look tired. My biggest issue with the album is that the best songs (Settle Down, Looking Hot, Push and Shove) seem to stand too high above the others, if there were even more amazing songs it could be on par with Tragic Kingdom. Apart from that, old fans will enjoy it and it should pick up a few new fans along the way.… Full Review »
  2. waldo632
    0
    This album was just pure garbage. It's not No Doubt anymore.. they hav eturned into some stupid and horrible mix of lame pop/reggae/ (wannabe) ska music. Bad comback after all this time on Hiatus...… Full Review »
  3. Methusalah
    4
    While No Doubt have never been lyrical geniuses, their past efforts were worlds better than the throw away mindlessness exhibited on this album. When it comes to ridiculous lyrics songs like Looking Hot (Do you think I'm looking hot, do you think this hits the spot, I was just looking at me, look at me) and Easy (I'm gonna hit and run yummy yummy yum) quickly steal the crown from Hollaback Girl. At least in the case of Hollaback Girl the lyrics were a clear compliment to the cheerleader anthem of the accompanying music. No such creativity on display here. Certainly profound lyrics aren't a requirement for good music, but the ones found here are just dull and uninspired. I'm also mildly baffled by the professional critics claiming to find "more mature themes" in her lyrics this time around.

    Musically, the album is a confused mess as well. We have a batch of pop songs that are nearly outdated in their style as they are being released. Many of these songs are just well-produced 80's synth-pop numbers with the occasional break for one where the band remembers that they were once a guitar driven pop band with ska influences so they throw in a guitar riff and a couple notes on a trumpet as a tribute to their former selves. I'm not going to insist that they return to the style of Tragic Kingdom with this album, but the I think they themselves need to agree on where exactly they want their music to go. Even as a pop album, the tracks on here pale in comparison to all but the worst of her solo work. The entire first half of the album is a meandering mess of conflicting ideas and interruptions. Songs that start off with a guitar driven opening quickly drift off into unsatisfying and barely related synthpop and songs that start off as club-friendly dance tunes are rudely interrupted by failed attempts to bring in other influences.

    I wish the best to Stefani and the her reunited band, but as painful as it is to admit it, she was probably better off playing the role of pop superstar on her own. The band just held her back from her current musical vision with Rock Steady and at least from an outsider's perspective, they just might be doing it again here.    … Full Review »
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