This is What the Truth Feels Like by Gwen Stefani (Interscope)

As her personal life unraveled in the public eye, Gwen Stefani gathered inspiration for her latest album This Is What The Truth Feels Like. This album feels like a rebound record to display. It is a statement that, although her personal life went to shambles, she can still be an artist. However, many tracks sound thrown together and rushed to be released.

Stefani’s last solo album, The Sweet Escape, released in 2006, exhibited her transformation of sound from her No Doubt ska punk days to bona fide pop music. This Is What The Truth Feels Like sticks to her solo pop sounds.

“Make Me Like You” is the typical uptempo pop song with a catchy hook. It becomes clear through the lyrics that the song is about her very public relationship with country singer Blake Shelton, whom she met while being a judge on The Voice.

The most emotional song on the album was the early-released ballad “Used To Love You,” written for ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. Although the track in no way compares to the vulnerability heard by Stefani in the No Doubt hit “Don’t Speak,” it still gives audiences a glimpse into her realization of knowing she was no longer in love with her significant other. The song’s lyrics are strong, but it falls short with synthetic instrumentals that are too upbeat for the melancholy matter of the song.

While This Is What The Truth Feels Like has a few emotional standout hits, the rest of the album lacks originality of sound and content.