A bizarre choice of single even for this band whose
musical output always seems to be trying to catch up with the eclecticism of Gwen Stefani's wardrobe. It's My Life, a cover of Talk Talk's
much-lauded hit of the eighties, adds British synth-pop to a list of musical styles including ska (Just a Girl), latin (Don't Speak) and ragga (Hey Baby) with which No Doubt have already flirted.
It's My Life is, surprisingly, not dissimilar to Talk Talk's original. While I can't help suspecting that No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal may well have championed this choice of cover for its bassline (of which it arguably has one of the best ever - lovingly recreated note for note in this version), they've nevertheless done a sterling job dusting off this 20-year-old classic.
With a star-studded Gwen Stefani solo album in the
pipeline and a retrospective Best Of about to be released, one can't help
wondering if this might be No Doubt's swansong. If it is, I can think of far worse ways to go.
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