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Music review: Gnarls Barkley, “The Odd Couple”
BY JACQUELINE HLAVENKA
There was something so pleasant about going crazy with Gnarls Barkley (a.k.a Cee-Lo Green and Danger Mouse) circa summer 2006. Never in recent pop history has a band reached the top of the charts with a jam that seemed both post-apocalyptic and downright groovy.
On their sophomore effort, The Odd Couple, the guys in Gnarls Barkley are still cranking out brooding, funky grooves with a darker edge. This time around, the pairing seems somewhat off.
Not to say Gnarls Barkley isn’t at the top of their game. The Odd Couple gives the listener the same hip/hop, electronica-soul fusion like their debut, St. Elsewhere, but fails to deliver the same hooks and panache overall.
The first track, “Charity Case” paces itself and unravels slowly, with a steady beat that doesn’t seem to pick up at the end. Luckily the smoky, slinky bass of “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” is eerily beautiful, as Cee-Lo belts out a cry for redemption. Listen for the cracks in the vocals that make the song all the more human.
Nevertheless, as a band, Gnarls Barkley is still looking for a place they belong, like on the driving, dreamy “Going On,” where they try to find “a place in the sun” somewhere beyond this world. On the following track, “No Time Soon,” they still carry the weight of a sadness that will only heal with time.
The album’s latest single, “Run (I’m a Natural Disaster)” is catchy, but lacks the depth of 2006’s “Crazy.” After the tremulous drums and tribal chants in “Open Book,” The Odd Couple seems to fall into a blur. Tracks like “Whatever” and “Blind Mary” are downright tedious in style and structure. The album picks up with the funky surf rock progression of “Surprise,” which can easily become a summer beach anthem for shore towns across the country.
Where the album’s strong points lay are in the subtle moments. The closing track, “A Little Better,” a modern rhythm & blues ballad, Cee-Lo says “I got a whole lotta pain in me, and it will always remain in me” with a stunning amount of grace.
With the success of their debut and The Odd Couple, Gnarls Barkley is on the road to making their first great soul record—but they’re not quite there yet. At least it’s a fun journey.
Grade: B
