Despite having sold seven million copies of her last solo CD, Stefani evidently still has a wry sense of humor. She begins this follow-up with a sample from "The Sound of Music" woven into hip-hop beats on "Wind It Up." She follows with breezy '60s-style pop on the title track, and that contrast is an indication that on this disc she won't be restricted by musical categories.
She riffs over chunky beats ("Orange County Girl"), wanders into radio-friendly R B ("4 In The Morning") with No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal, and closes with a synth-pop air ("Wonderful Life"). In the midst of this she works with Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley on the standout "Early Winter" on which Stefani really shines, her voice well-suited to the rock-oriented arrangement and less affected than her approach on other tracks. Cheery, upbeat, and inspirational.
Composer Danny Elfman's original score for Charlotte's Web is a modern classic in itself, with flowing melodies and lush orchestration that spins a web around your heart. Listeners can't help being drawn in by a sound that's tender and sweet, yet fiercely determined - something that has the light fantasy touch you want for a kids' movie while dancing and darting in a way that is hardly juvenile. Few scores are so on-the-mark in capturing the mood and sentiment of the work they are paired with.
The disc, which ends with the always-beautiful vocals of Sarah McLachlan on "Ordinary Miracle," is a well-conceived, well-executed project that ranks among the year's best. This is retro doo-wop at its street-corner best, staying true to the vocal style that was a large part of music in the early years of rock. If you saw the film American Hot Wax, you have heard these guys before, because the group was created especially for its soundtrack.
Vance and his pals are still in fine voice and, while adding a bit of their own touch to each of these songs, are still faithful to the original version in their treatment. For 11 years, Vance was with Jay The Americans, who kept doo-wop alive after its mainstream popularity waned. The 24 tracks here should bring back memories of rock's formative years, with fine versions of such classics as "Sh-Boom," "Hushabye," "To Be Loved," and others.
Vance can still hit those high notes on this package of oldie sounds by this re-formed group.
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