No Doubt + Green Day | Tracks

“Settle Down”
No Doubt

Earlier this year, as we speculated who Lolla 2012’s headliners might be, No Doubt seemed like a sure bet. We know better now, and after numerous delays, the SoCal arena-ska champs have finally given us a taste of their first album in more than a decade, after teasing us for what seems like an eternity. A year ago we saw Web pics of the band hanging in the studio with Major Lazer’s Diplo and Switch. Maybe that’s why we confused Gwen Stefani for Santigold during the intro to “Settle Down,” the first single off the forthcoming Push and Shove. The L’Oréal spokeswoman chirps over a crisp, mechanized riddim, “I’m fiiine / Nothing’s gonna knock this girl down,” adding, “I’m hella positive, for real, I’m all good,” as if we need to be convinced. Windmilled full-bodied guitar chords over the chorus remove whatever edge might still be associated with dancehall, but the beat goes on, for more than six minutes, in fact. “Get in line and settle down,” Stefani advises. The band’s given us an anthem for crowd control. The event staffers at Grant Park nod their heads in agreement.