Gnarls Barkley: The Odd Couple
Thursday, 03 Apr 2008 13:14
Warner, Out now .
In a nutshell…
Complex, moody, mixed, doom, genious
What's it all about?
Two years after the runaway single Crazy broke just about every record known (so much so it was taken off the shelves when it was still number one), Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green return with The Odd Couple, the second album under the Gnarls Barkley guise.
Following on from St Elsewhere – which also spawned the hits Gone Daddy Gone and Smiley Faces – The Odd Couple see the duo take on a more serious, complex notion, although this is contrary to the release of the first single, Run.
Who's it by
Brian Burton – better known as Danger Mouse – is one of the hottest, most well-known producers in the world at the moment. After his breakthrough remix record The Grey Album – in which he mixed The Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album – Danger Mouse has worked with Outkast on Hey Ya and the Demon Days album by Gorillaz.
Cee-Lo Green was a member of hip-hop act Goodie Mob in the early 2000's and had a number of solo hits across the world.
The two joined up to form Gnarls Barkley in 2004.
As an example…
"Yeah its still the same/ Can't you feel the pain/ When the needle hits the vein/ Ain't nothing like the real thing/ I've seen it once before/ And oh it's something else/ Good god." - Run
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
A good possibility actually. Still one of the most progressive acts in the world, Gnarls Barkley are no strangers to awards shows and could be in the hat come February.
What the others say
"There's a sinister undertow to several tracks on The Odd Couple, which is not surprising for a duo prepared to dress up as gladiators, chefs, nurses and characters from The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars and Austin Powers at their shows." – The Independent
So is it any good?
The kings of eclecticism have returned with a record more random, and experimental, than most thought they would. While many would play it safe on the notoriously difficult second album – especially after having such huge worldwide success – Gnarls Barkley have certainly pushed the boat out, innovating like only they can.
The most noticeable aspect of The Odd Couple is the fact that, compared to its predecessor, it is complex, gritty and quite sullen. Titles such as Who's Gonna Save My Soul and Would Be Killer display the dark, often warped, tendencies of the duo.
However, unlike their debut record, the problem with the deep lyrics is that there is no standout track. First single Run – a mental composition of seemingly clashing sounds which weirdly works – belies the melancholy on The Odd Couple and is relatively lively.
Without a standout track, The Odd Couple plays as an experiment designed to combine as many stylistic elements as possible, most of the time as a detriment to the flow of the album and the individual song structures. The hypnotic Charity Case, however, is an exception to the rule.
Despite this, the quality really shines through on the second, third and fourth listens. In the fast-paced, throwaway culture of today, The Odd Couple may not spawn a Crazy-esque moment. But for those that take the time to enjoy it, and absorb it, The Odd Couple is a cracking piece of work.
7 /10
Richard Fox
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