Home > Music > CD Review > Gnarls Barkley, 'The Odd Couple'

Gnarls Barkley, 'The Odd Couple'

The ‘Crazy’ kings of psychedelic soul stay on the dark side

By Scott T. Sterling

Metromix
March 24, 2008

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Backstory: The canny duo of super-producer Danger Mouse and soul-hop singer Cee-Lo owned 2006 with the ubiquitous “Crazy,” one of those once-in-a-lifetime tunes that crossed every possible line to define that particular moment in time. The resulting full-length, “St. Elsewhere,” was a completely unexpected collection of truly eclectic modern pop, a dark-lit pastiche of everything from Motown to an update on the Violent Femmes' New Wave nugget “Gone Daddy Gone.” After racking up two Grammys and proving themselves with an inspired stage show, the dynamic duo is out to make their mark the second time around.

Why you should care: In the current blog-driven musical landscape, where more open-minded listeners are eager for something exciting and new (often to the detriment of, well, quality), Gnarls Barkley exemplifies the best of both traditional songwriting and the new millennium vanguard. Danger Mouse’s understated but kaleidoscopic productions are among the best in the business, and Cee-Lo’s apocalyptic lyricism belies the high-pitched warmth of his voice. Their combined sound is both timeless and effortlessly contemporary.

Verdict: You won’t find another “Crazy” here, and “The Odd Couple” is better for it. Instead of spinning their wheels chasing lightning in a bottle, they subtly expand on their melancholy R&B touchstone. Songs like “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” sound like Sam Cooke 2.0, and first single “Run (I’m a Natural Disaster)” percolates with the energy of the “American Bandstand” spotlight dance circa 1966. Cee-Lo delves deeper into his metaphorical dark side with the bluesy dirge “Would Be Killer” while Danger Mouse flexes his digital muscle with the ruthlessly chopped beat of “Open Book” and sets an appropriately ghostly mood for the cryptic “She Knows.” Gnarls Barkley is still the king of psychedelic soul.

X-Factor: Having already proved his production prowess by manning the boards for the most recent releases by the Black Keys and the Shortwave Set, Danger Mouse is currently working with Beck on his forthcoming album.

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