Vitamin String Quartet

This string quartet tribute to No Doubt is pretty standard for this oddly captivating genre, but it does make some interesting additions and stylistic choices in the set, which features nine No Doubt favorites. In addition to the usual arsenal of violin, viola, and cello, its sound is fleshed out by a bass throughout, as well as a traditional drum kit on the banging "Hella Good." Just as effective as the original and made even more of guilty pleasure with a reverb-treated violin rocking Gwen Stefani's vocal line, it's the bomb track of the record. Elsewhere, a chorus of violins does a nice job with the yearning, wavering melody of "Simple Kind of Life;" meanwhile, the set ends strong with a delightful version of "Underneath it All" that somehow crosses the original's reggae groove with a contemporary instrumental sensibility. Highly recommended to No Doubt fans looking for more than just a novelty laugh. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi