★★☆☆☆
Gwen Stefani steps back onto the music scene with her newest album, Bouquet, released on Nov. 15.
In her fifth studio album, Stefani delves deeper into the country genre, most likely inspired by her relationship with husband Blake Shelton, who is featured on the album.
Bouquet, her first original album since 2016, has been long awaited by Stefani’s fans and the general public alike. Stefani has made a name for herself in both pop and rock music, through her album The Sweet Escape and her work in the early 2000s rock band No Doubt. In her newest release, however, Stefani fails to live up to her musical legacy.
In Bouquet, nothing new or fresh is explored, whether sonically or lyrically. The album’s songs fall into the musical traps of modern radio country, sounding monotonous and blending into each other with no clear distinction.
Stefani’s full vocal talents are underused in this album, her voice falling into one limited range.
Furthermore, the songs’ lyrics harp on trite, overused metaphors concerning falling in love and dealing with toxic exes. They often contain clunky uses of modern slang that draw one very easily out of the album’s listening experience.
“Had to go and do some healin’ / Sorry I was ghostin’ you (Ghostin’ you) / But what was I supposed to do?” Stefani sings in “Swallow My Tears,” for example.
Bouquet’s first track is aptly named “Somebody Else’s,” Stefani’s tribute to the person who is currently dating her “narcissistic, semi-psychotic” ex-boyfriend, as described in the lyrics. It kicks off the album’s trend of upbeat country songs, exhibiting the same sound found in a majority, if not all of, the album’s tracks. It is meant to be a confidence-boosting anthem that shows how Stefani no longer cares about this relationship as she is now in love with someone who values her. It establishes its purpose, but its lyrics are littered with clichés.
“I didn’t know that somethin’ so fake / Could really make it hurt so real, ah,” is just one example found in the almost four-minute long track.
“Late To Bloom” is another track that exemplifies what is missing the mark in Bouquet. From its outset, it cements itself as another upbeat country track, complete with acoustic guitar plucks and a twangy electric guitar driving the beat. Stefani sings about falling in love “later in life” with whom the audience can only assume to be Shelton, although there are no specific details about the aforementioned lover found in the song. Complete with common country references, “drivin’ in your truck” being one of them, this track paints a story of falling in love at an older age. This song, however, is ultimately forgettable in the larger scheme of the album. It accomplishes nothing sonically interesting nor lyrically profound.
“Reminders” cements itself as the standout track of the album, a welcome reprieve of slow, ballad-like vocals and instrumentals among the abrasive upbeat noise of the rest of the album.
The soft guitar and strings in eighth track create a soft ambience that lets Stefani’s voice shine. The lyrics, while still slightly trite, are emotional and sweet.
“Can I stay here underneath your shade / When I feel afraid? / I just need a few reminders / Sometimes I forget, it slips away, ” Stefani sings.
“Purple Irises,” the final track, features Shelton. A love song with the two, it compares their love to purple iris flowers. Unfortunately, the vocals on this track start out unpleasant and do not improve along the way. The song comes to an abrupt end consisting of a quick guitar riff, which ends the album on a rushed note.
Bouquet, overall, seems like a misstep on Stefani’s behalf. Country as a genre does not lend itself to Stefani’s praised and widely recognized talents. Neither her songwriting nor voice shine when utilized to create a country song. Hopefully, her next album will feature a return to her acclaimed pop or rock roots.
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