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By Gibble00 on 09/04/2008

This is a long, personal review of the album for anyone who might be interested. I just love, had to do this.

Some background info:
Gnarls Barkley is the pairing of producer Danger Mouse and singer Cee-Lo. Their first album titled St. Elsewhere was released in the spring of 2006 and was arguably one of the best albums of the year by a new artist. The Odd Couple is their second album and was released towards the end of last month. After having the new album for a couple of weeks I can say that I've listened to it thoroughly and can give some good insight into its thirteen tracks.

Throughout their new album, Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo continue the style that they erected for themselves in St. Elsewhere. Gnarls Barkley is a little tricky to describe if you haven't heard them. They can kind of be portrayed as an eclectic mix of new jazz, hip-hop, and funk, but I know that you know that saying that doesn't mean a whole lot; go listen to them. Part of their appeal draws from the fact that they sound much different from other popular music of the past couple of years. As a whole, it may very well only appeal to a specific type of listener. Tell me you like Nirvana or T-Pain and I can give you loads of albums by similar artists who want to be them, but Gnarls Barkley stands alone.

To put it simply, The Odd Couple is amazing, but it may have more than it needs of the hardcore Gnarls Barkley style that appeals to the specific listener.

As the album opens up with "Charity Chase" it's clear that Danger Mouse is going to pull sounds from the old jazz scene. Cee-Lo crushes the vocals as he puts forth his want for someone who may not want him back:
"Are you needing me like I'm needing you?
Even my shadow leaves me all alone at night,
'cause I need to start to take my own advice."

"Who's Gonna Save My Soul" is unfortunately the second single from the album. The lyrics are good and Danger Mouse does a great job, but the song is almost too depressing for me as Cee-Lo is more or less speaking to himself in need and never really gets to his good singing.

"Going On" is another one of the best tracks on the album and I think that fans of Gnarls Barkley will enjoy this song a lot as it sounds like it could have been straight off of St. Elsewhere. It's much more uplifting than the previous two tracks as Cee-Lo professes that:

"I'm going on.
May my love lift you up to the place you belong.
I'm going on.

And I promise I'll be waiting for you."

"Run (I'm A Natural Disaster)" was the first single from the album and if you just heard this track you might get a strong misconception of Gnarls Barkley and their new album. It's very fast and the lyrics are a little odd, it's all right but nothing special. "Would Be Killer" is a song that's sort of weak for both Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse, it doesn't really go with the rest of the album, and further makes the previous track a little odd. The lyrics:

"Hurt people, hurt people.
This is always how.
Oh, I've been entered by evil,
so someone best love me right now."

definitely make it a little scary, and it's another track where Cee-Lo is more or less speaking in a single, creepy tone, rather than doing his soulful thing.

"Open Book" is much better than the previous two tracks as Cee-Lo gets to work a harsh set of lyrics and Danger Mouse pumps out a junglish, part-tribal beat. "Whatever" takes a wrong turn, Danger Mouse turns out some good work, but Cee-Lo's lyrics are a bit lacking as he sounds more or less like an introverted teenager.

The rest of the songs sort of change off in their style, which can help keep it fresh if your listening to it through, but also sort of cause me to skip around. Some people aren't too fond of the final track, "A Little Better", but I find that it goes along nicely with the album as Cee-Lo sings:

"The circumstances put soul in me,
and there ain't no holding me.
I've got a heart made of gold in me."

and you feel that after all he's gone through in the album, things may be better.

I've felt a strong personal attachment to the album recently as I've been dealing with some less than favorable events in my life, but I have to say it's a great listen and everyone should check it out.

A new album by The Roots is coming out later this month, you can count on a review of that as well.

Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple