Gnarls Barkley: 'The Odd Couple'
Eric Lee
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Cadenza
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The Odd Couple
Rating: 3.5/5
Tracks to download: "Who's Gonna Save My Soul," "Going On"
Gnarls Barkley: groundbreaking artists, Grammy-award winners, emo kids. After the vibrant, technicolored, genre-bending victory of their first album (2006's "St. Elsewhere") and the amazing success that followed, Gnarls Barkley has released an album mournful enough that it could make a grown man cry (just not too much, because that would make you a wimp).
But just what is this eponymous odd couple? DJ Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green, of course, the retro-futuristic producer and rapper pair, whose height difference is just about one and a half feet. They appear to be, in reality, kindred spirits, with their willingness to perform in drag and fondness for offbeat production and morose song titles.
This is definitely a strange concoction, given the melancholy topics and the fact that lead singer Cee-Lo Green basically sounds like Mary Poppins. "I wonder if I'll live to grow old now/ Getting high because I feel so low down," he raps on kickoff single "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?" Why Mary, why? What has happened to you? Did your puppy die?
Apparently the first of their woes comes from deep-seeded paranoia and discontent, audible in track "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)," as Cee-Lo quips, "Run children…Can't you feel the pain?" This is followed alternately by satirical attacks on the objects of disaffection ("Whatever," "Neighbors") and bouts of insecurity ("Blind Mary," about a woman who overlooks flaws, as she is blind, so she doesn't have much of a choice).
This is a really risky sophomore move for the ambitious duo, as the album lacks the beats to impress anyone. Half the tracks listed lack a discernable melody, instead consisting merely of the trademark glossy Gnarls Barkley finishing, random sound effects and sad Mary Poppins/Cee-Lo. The best single, "Going on," is certainly a redeeming moment but not nearly enough to carry the rest of the gaunt album.
Gnarls Barkley, however, remains compelling enough to render the album listenable. Sadness aside, the amount of humanity and honesty put forth on any hip-hop oriented, beat-driven album is generally at a minimum, and Gnarls Barkley certainly triumphs in that department. This is not "St. Elsewhere," not even close actually, but intriguing enough to salvage itself from mediocrity.
With the absence of a "Crazy," or even a "Gone, Daddy Gone," "The Odd Couple" will almost certainly flounder on the charts and in the clubs. I predict a legion of fans and critics disenchanted with this lackluster effort, burning effigies of Mary Poppins and reminiscing about the better days, where "Crazy" was in its rightful place at the top of the charts and everyone's vocal registers.
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