No Doubt has no time to wait while preggers Gwen Stefani does her motherly thing. Yet Tony Kanal says “I wouldn’t even say this album is in its infancy. It’s conception, if anything. It’s so super-early on.” Yes, that’s called playing it safe. Who else would front the band? I smell a 10,000 Maniacs type of post-popular frontwoman syndrome slide coming on. And besdies, does Stefani even need No Doubt anymore? After Tragic Kingdom, the band kept pushing farther away from the ska-pop infested sound they started with and moved ever closer to the pop rocks that rocked Rock Steady as well as the groove of Stefani’s solo album. But then again, Stefani basically is No Doubt in the eyes of many a fan. It’s her voice, her bod, and her ever-changing fashion styles that are always at the front. No one gives a crap if the drummer wears a new loincloth. She’ll have a solid career with or without ’em.