Music Review: Gwen Stefani "Baby Don't Lie"

Gwen Stefani

Baby Don’t Lie

Album: TBA

Year: 2014

            Gwen Stefani suspects her boyfriend of keeping a secret from her in the failing           “Baby Don’t Lie.”

            Spiraling synths open the single, setting a   The phone rings and he goes into the other room. She sits on the couch, wondering who he is talking to and why he won’t stay in the room. For the most part, he’s a good person.  Lately, she asks him a follow-up question and he doesn’t answer. He isn’t involving in her whatever is going on. (“We been walking down this road for some time/And you love, and you love me good, no lie/But there's something behind those eyes, those eyes/That you can't, that you can't disguise, disguise.”)

           In the chorus, it bothers her that he won’t talk. She knows his stories aren’t adding up. They are vague and she can find contradictions all the time. She would like a better relationship. It looks like, though, he already has the left. She needs him to be honest with her. (“Baby don't, baby don't, baby don't lie/I don't wanna cry no longer/Baby don't, baby don't, baby don't lie/I'ma need a love that's stronger/I tell you no, I tell you no, I tell you no I, no I/If we ever give up, then we're gonna die/Look me in the eye/Baby don't lie/Baby don't lie.”)

               The tropical synths are in awe of the centuries old temple.

             The first verse is sung again.
        

           In the pre-chorus, she adds that she would like think her instincts are wrong. (“Baby tell me there's nothing below/Baby tell me there's nothing below/Here we, here we/Come on.”)

            The chorus is sung again.

             The tropical synths return again.

            In the bridge, she wants to know what’s going on. She starts mentioning certain things: does he feel lost, is work going ok. If his posture stiffens or he grunts, she knows she’s getting somewhere. (“What you hiding boy/What you hiding boy/I can tell what you've been hiding boy/And you can tell me if I'm getting warm/Am I getting warm/Am I getting warm/Am I getting warm/And you can tell me if I'm getting warm.”)

             The chorus is sung again to end the single.

               The tropical synths return again.

            Stefani’s hiccuping vocals resort to what’s familiar to her: psuedo-reggae rapping and teen posturing. While she has been able to do it well in the past (“What You Waiting For?” for example), she isn’t able to here. Her own idiosyncracies are wiped away: no psychoanalzying her career or marriage. She could possible make a song about child-rearing entertaining but she goes for the generic instead.

                 The tropical synths, though, deserve to be sampled in an electro song. They are far too beatiful and grand to be wasted.

             The lacking  “Baby Don’t Lie” takes all the fun out of Gwen Stefani.