The contemporary country of
Gwen Stefani
's fifth album,
Bouquet
, is far removed from the pop of her earlier solo work, let alone the energy and attitude she brought to
No Doubt
. Based around a loose, running theme of flower metaphors and references,
is a collection of toned-down, affable tunes with glints of country twang embroidered into their hyper-clean production. The country affectation is at its heaviest in the sleepy, shuffling balladry of "Empty Vase" (complete with pedal steel licks tastefully low in the mix) and "Purple Irises," a duet between
Stefani
and her country star spouse,
Blake Shelton
. While it almost exclusively opts for mellow, reflective tones,
isn't completely disconnected from the excitement and verve of
's earlier catalog. Opening track "Somebody Else's" musters up some of the bounce and punch that flowed naturally out of every corner of
The Sweet Escape
, and the mature, reserved acoustic verses of "Swallow My Tears" make way for hooky choruses. ~ Fred Thomas