Rock Steady\nNo Doubt\nUniversal/Interscope\nThe Billboard Top 200 has Rock Steady listed as No. 13 for the week for Jan. 12. People are listening to No Doubt and becoming new fans, and it's easy to understand why with their new album, Rock Steady.\nLead singer Gwen Stefani heads up her band releasing yet another album with upbeat, happy sounds and lyrics about everything from making out to spying on a lover. While their sound isn't exactly the same from album to album, No Doubt takes their original sound of ska and reggae and mixes it with some pop and techno sounds. You'll definitely want to dance to a lot of the tracks on the CD.\nThe first single off the album is "Hey Baby," which seems annoying in its begging/pleading nature, becomes much cooler upon repeat listenings. Besides, what IU bar hopper or frat party regular can't identify with the lyrics of "watching boys and girls and their sex appeal" or "with the tank tops and flirty word"? \nThe track "Don't Let Me Down" has a definite '80s sound to it, but is also hard to ignore with its catchy chorus.\nThe tracks "Running" and "Underneath It All" slow things down and really show off Stefani's vocal abilities. \n"Waiting Room" has a familiar voice in the background. "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince" backs up Stefani in this track about waiting for such things as a lover to call or waiting for a lover to be at the same level as you in a relationship.\nAlthough I have their previous albums, I'm not that huge of a fan. But Rock Steady has inspired me to keep buying their stuff. It is far and away the band's best album to date and hopefully future efforts will continue this pattern.\n
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