USA Today (Dec. 17th 1999)

Unequivocal return for No Doubt

Is No Doubt a sure thing? The Orange County, Calif., pop band that ruled the airwaves with 1995's Tragic Kingdom will face a radically altered marketplace when it returns with Return of Saturn, arriving April 11.

"We don't do hard-core testosterone rock, so we don't fit in right now," guitarist Tom Dumont says. "But we had a chance to stretch. It's a couple steps forward and a step or two to the left."

Saturn's eclectic mix of ballads and rockers barely nods to the band's late-'80s ska sound. The title, an astrology term, refers to the quartet's personal growth.

"When you hit 28 or 29, you deal with the reality of becoming an adult and figuring out who you are," Dumont says. "So this album is more somber."

Saturn's tone stems partly from singer Gwen Stefani's expanded role. After Dumont taught her a few guitar chords two years ago, she composed Simple Kind of Life (the first single) and Suspension Without Suspense. Her intensely personal lyrics "are not fictional situations," Dumont says. "She's going through some turmoil now. She always aspired to have a family and be a mom, and now she's struggling with conflicts in her relationships and career."

The band plans to launch its global tour with U.S. theater and club dates in March.