Man, what some dudes will pull just to get out of diaper duty. “Sorry, Gwen—you change the sprog’s nappies; I’m in the middle of singing a sensitive ballad called ‘Beauty in the Beast,’ my response to the solo career you launched with such jaw-dropping success that I am driven to the edge of despair trying to emulate it. That’s the trouble I’m in. Hey—song title!” Gavin Rossdale was one of the ’90s’ crucial rock loverboys, back when Bush was an unjustly bashed British band instead of a justly-bashed president—he defined grunge erotics with the choked growls of “Swallowed,” “Glycerine” and “Machinehead.” Rossdale still has that sexy catch in his throat, but his new songs are ass, evoking a mealy-mouthed, cliché-ridden, bombastic Chris Cornell solo joint more than Bush, and whoever Auto-Tuned the vocals has some explaining to do. Can’t blame Rossdale for trying, but impregnating Gwen is evidently as much stress as he can handle right now.

Download “The Trouble I’m In”