Gwen Stefani Album: “Sweet Escape [Best Buy Exclusive]”

Gwen Stefani is one of the most exciting artists working in the mainstream. She oozes style in just about everything she does, while her music is consistently innovative and always inventive.

The former No Doubt lead singer showed with her debut solo album "Love Angel Music Baby" that she had what it takes to compete at the forefront of the mainstream scene, mixing it capably with the likes of Madonna, Pink and Beyonce yet delivering things in a style that was distinctly her own.

Sophomore album "The Sweet Escape" maintains those high standards and proves that her debut was no fluke. It's a fantastic listen, capable of widespread crossover appeal and almost certain to fall prey to flattering imitations.

It impresses from the outset, kicking off with the brilliant lead single "Wind It Up" and tossing in one hit after another in a number of different styles.

"Wind It Up", in particular, is a highlight that's sure to become a signature tune for the artist. With its cheeky "Sound Of Music" sample wrapped around a more distinct tub-thumping beat (think "Hollaback Girl"), it's an absolute riot of energy that appeals to the childlike dancer in every one of us. You'll be foot-tapping and hip-swaying along with its infectious energy in spite of any reservations you may feel. But it's Stefani's gift that she can take something that, on paper, sounds cheesy and make it utterly, utterly cool.

Thereafter, it's a thrilling and eclectic mix packed with the usual smattering of high-profile collaborations - but crucially, with some surprise additions.

Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley provides a telling contribution to "Early Winter", a thrilling keyboard-based ballad that finds Stefani at her most intimate and lovely, while Akon's distinct rapping style works well on the album's title track, the thrilling "Sweet Escape".

"4 In The Morning" is another heart-melter of a track, a slow-burner built around some lush electronic soundscapes, a swooning set of vocals and some well-realised strings. It's one for the romantically inclined and a track that serves as a nice contrast to the more boisterous, semi-rap style of dancefloor fillers such as "Now That You Got It" and "Orange County Girl".

Another highlight is the high-tempo, percussion heavy "Yummy", a duet with Pharrell that finds Stefani at her most sassy and, well, yummy vocally. It drops in a sample of "Wind It Up" but in no way feels like a lazy retread of former hits. The chorus, too, provides an example of the artist pushing the pop boundaries to pleasing effect.

The same applies to the effortlessly hip vibe surrounding "Fluorescent", another contagious offering that gets better and better the more you hear it, and the dark, grinding "Breakin' Up", which finds the singer at her most feisty and defiant. Both tracks hint at the new directions taken by both Madonna and Nelly Furtado, albeit with Stefani's distinct spin.

There's a sweet '80s vibe surrounding final track "Wonderful Life" that's also engaging, while the live version of "Wind It Up" that brings things to a close is utterly enchanting.

Like we said, this is an inspirational piece of work that makes Stefani's artistic brilliance impossible to escape. Our advice is to shell out and enjoy - it's one of the hippest releases of the year.Jack Foley.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I made the fatal mistake of waiting too long to buy Stefani's monster solo Love.Angel.Music.Baby. and when I listened to it and began to fall in love with it, it was too late. I didn't make the same mistake twice, even though I wondered how she would top her first blockbuster. I don't know if The Sweet Escape tops LAMB, but it comes really close. I do not know why people are hating on her: how could you resist the 80s reminiscent "Sweet Escape" or the tricked out "Orange County Girl" or the infectious club-banger "Now That You Got It". Even when she does ballads, she is the s*it, like in the incredible "4 In the Morning". The standout track "Yummy" featuring Pharrell is a must-be single and the Kelis-esque "Breakin Up" could be a hot one too. I don't know what other people are talking about but The Sweet Escape is a winner.

Gwen Stefani has lost her mind. Wind it up is the most onboxious song I have ever had the misfortune to hear. Her first solo album was hit and miss with me. This one is all miss. I'm devastated. When we lost No Doubt, I thought we would be getting something better. I was wrong.

To be exact, I rate this album with 3.5 stars, but I've decided to round it off to 4 instead of just 3 stars. I'm not sure if i'm too biased or anything, but to be honest, similar to the many reviews on Amazon.com awarding "The Sweet Escape" with 1- and 2-star ratings, I actually DID feel like this album was an absolutely terrible one.

Upon my first listen, I thought the album was... passable (2.5 stars, that is) due to a few good tracks. The first single 'Wind It Up' was what attracted me to buy the album, but soon after, i realised that the song wasn't really worth the buck for this album.

People may say that the lack of creativity (in terms of both LYRICS and TUNE/BEATS) have caused the poor performance of "The Sweet Escape", but after one or two listens, i finally caught on. In my own words, this album is probably not one of the best albums of our time, but it is certainly a guilty pleasure...

#1: Wind It Up (7/10) Creative it may seem... but truth be told, it is simply a poorer and weirder rehash of "Hollaback Girl"

#2: Sweet Escape (8/10) Soothing chorus with a feel-good song opener (courtesy of Akon). A nice blend of hip-hop and pop.

#3: Orange County Girl (7.5/10) Ok, i know that the chorus and Gwen's attempt at rapping is laughably bad, but take the verses (which were angsty, well-performed... and at the same time nonsensicle) into consideration!

#4: Early Winter (8.5/10) One of the better songs on the album... it sounds so different from the other tracks.

#5: Now That U Got It (7.5/10) Don't take this song too seriously and the weirdness (and coolness) of the song will just get to you. Groovy!

#6: 4 in the morning (8/10) To put it simply -- a nice song.

#7: Yummy (8/10) Hot! Hot! Hot!... Despite the apparent similarities to Kelis' "Milkshake".

#8: Flourescent (7.5/10) An ok pop-electroclash song. Listenable.

#9: Breakin' Up (6/10) Some may say it is a smart song ("a kiss-off disguised as a fading phone call")... but then again, who the heck wants to ENJOY listening to this?! Gwen and Pharrell did something wrong here!

#10: Don't Get It Twisted (7/10) Very enjoyable as a song, but the lyrics are, er... rather difficult to comprehend. Was Gwen thinking at all?

#11: U Started It (7.5/10) A simple song with simple lyrics that is listenable. Nothing too bad about it.

#12: Wonderful Life (9/10) Hands-down the best song on the album (courtesy of Linda Perry, who worked with X-Tina). The opening tunes are just, er, wonderful! This song emits a slightly spooky, yet longing and sad resonance within.

On the whole, there were noticeably good (and not-so-good) songs, but "The Sweet Escape" is mostly recommended to be listened to on a cold day. Just sit back, open the lyrics booklet, and relax... (and skip track Number 9... don't say i didn't warn y'all)

The first time I listened to this album, I wasn't that impressed. The more and more I listen to it, the more addictive it becomes. Everyone has heard "Wind It Up" by now, some people love it and some people hate it, but this album has so much more to offer. The best songs are: "Yummy", her mellow collaboration with Pharell, "Sweet Escape", another collaboration, this time with Akon. It has a catchy pop/reggae sound. "Now That You Got It", which is probably my favorite. This is a fun song with a good beat that I could listen to over and over. Another song I could listen to again and again is the reggae-ish "Don't Get It Twisted". Last but not least, are the 80's inspired "Wonderful Life" and "Early Winter", which are both terrific songs. They're probably the best-written and her voice sounds great on these songs. I listen to these songs when I'm on the treadmill and they're so fun and upbeat, it makes the time pass very quickly.