It”s been a decade since a new No Doubt album and fans got their first real look and listen at what to expect from “Push and Shove” today with the release of the first single and video “Settle Down.”
Directed by Sophie Mueller, who has helmed a number of No Doubt clips previously, was behind the lens for the music video, which features the four members as truck drivers heading to a reunion. That follows the lyrical them of Gwen Stefani carrying on a conversation over a CB radio.
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The song picks up right where the band left off with 2001″s “Rock Steady”: “Settle Down” is ska-influenced pop that despite its jubilant beat is about a relationship that she can”t quite get her arms around. Stefani sings much of it with an island patois, while different rhythms and beats soar in and out as she declares “Ima rough and tough/nothing”s going to knock this girl down.” It”s more hypnotic than hooky, sort of like The Tom Tom Club’s “Genius Of Love” gone reggae.
Each member -Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, and Adrian Young- has tricked out his or her rig to suit their personality. Their florescent road tripping is interspersed with footage of Stefani in a club and lot of endorsements, including a really blatant lip gloss one. Sheesh. There also seems to be a watch tie-in.
The reunion, as you can imagine is a happy one and in no time at all, they”ve broken out the instruments and circled the rigs to put on an impromptu performance. None of them look like they”ve aged a day in the past decade and the clip does exactly what it needs to do if you didn”t catch them on tour in 2009: they are all still in terrific fighting shape and ready to come to a town near you. Plus, the video has a very cool outro.
“Push And Shove” comes out Sept. 25.
What do you think of “Settle Down?” Do you like it?