Gwen Stefani first came to us as an awkwardly sexy, ska-coiffed punk tart, a musing half seductress and half feminist who fronted a band of Orange County new-wave kiddos called No Doubt.

These days, she’s traded her radical edge for the instant accessibility of the bobby-soxer pop star wannabe. Stefani has become almost a household name and her music has followed suit.

Instead of No Doubt, her album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. has Stefani working with a number of producers, including Andre 3000 and the Neptunes, to widely mixed result. Except for the latter’s track — Gwen ought to get Chad and Pharrell to give her her money back for the annoying and arid “Hollaback Girl” — the songs are pretty much as good as their producers. Dr. Dre lays down edgy piano between bass kicks on the inescapably catchy “Rich Girl,” while No Doubt guitarist (and Stefani ex-lover) Tony Kanal shovels up a fresh pile of cheesy ’80s shitpop on “Crash.”

Style over substance is obviously the point here, but it only works when the producer has enough to let Stefani borrow some. She can spin the sexy diva web on bump ’n’ grinders like “Luxurious,” and attitude skits like “What You Waiting For?,” but not because she gives them unmistakable style. Rather, Stefani shines when playing an assigned role — which makes one wonder, was she really such a punk in the first place?