Gavin Rossdale – WANDERlust Review | UGO.com
a Wanderlust review by Marguerite French from UGO.com
Gavin Rossdale – WANDERlust Review | UGO.com
The Who: Typically in this part of the review, we give a little history on the artist in question, outlining their musical evolution, maybe adding a tongue in cheek comment about their shoes or something, and we’ll do that in a minute, but we just want to point out that Gavin Rossdale is best known as Mr. Gwen Stefani. Plus, he was the lead singer of Bush and the founder of Institute and writes some songs and stuff.
The Buzz: Okay, so after five albums with Bush and one with Institute, it’s pretty significant that Rossdale is coming out with a solo album. We always knew he was a frontman by name as well as by nature, but until recently he was content to be a part of an operation where a lot more artistic give and take was going on. Something is different about his life now to make him stick his chin out and take all the praise – or all the blame. Is it fatherhood? The political climate? All the rockin’ sex he’s having with his super hot wifey? Let’s find out what WANDERlust is all about, shall we?
The Verdict: If the point of making a solo album – or any album – were to get the listener to like you, Gavin Rossdale would’ve hit a home run with WANDERlust. His sincere, heartfelt lyrics and earnest guitar yearnings open up with a vulnerability that is instantly endearing. Nearly every song here is about the tenderness of human relationships, and surely Gavin, with a strong marriage and his second child on the way, knows whereof he speaks. However, the sounds here are not very original. The opener, “Can’t Stop the World,” sounds like a younger, less talented Phil Collins and the love song to childhood that is “Forever May You Run” is too sappy to convey a message that has been conveyed so well by people like Eric Clapton and even Will Smith. Rossdale’s voice, however, is gravelly and sexy as ever, and the chord progressions are often evocative in their simplicity, making this a really good album for a road trip.The Grade: B-
