0606949044121. Pre-Owned: Good condition. CD. Return of Saturn is an almost defiantly mature record about two things: Stefani s exploration of a troubled romance and her own romantic ideals plus a serious attempt by the group to not only keep new wave alive but to make that adolescent music relevant to an older audience. It s a high concept but Return of Saturn is filled with satisfying contradictions. It s melodic but deceptively complex; it can seem frothy but it s never frivolous. No Doubt s desire to expand the emotional template of new wave is the perfect match for Stefani s themes -- she may be writing about love but she s not writing adolescent love songs. Fragments of her teenaged romantic fantasies remain but she s writing as a woman in her late 20s. She s tired of being another ex-girlfriend -- she wants to fall in love get married and have a family. It s a subject that s surprisingly uncommon in pop music which would alone make Return of Saturn an interesting album. What makes it a successful one is that the band delivers an aural equivalent of Stefani s lyrical themes. They also begin with their adolescent musical ideals adding depth and detail to their pop-ska foundation. They balance their non-ironic love of new wave with contemporary production and a sensibility borrowed from classic rock: that albums are greater than the sum of their parts. Surprisingly they pull it off -- it s a far stronger record than Tragic Kingdom even if the catchiest numbers don t have the same swagger and punch as their previous hit singles. So be it. With Return of Saturn No Doubt have made a terrific layered record that exceeds any expectations set by Tragic Kingdom. Not only have they found their voice they know what to do with it. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Rovi