Gnarls Barkley “The Odd Couple” Review

Widely adored for its diverse range and erratic structure The Odd Couple has also drawn criticism for attempting to hide beneath a shroud of artistic overreachings and blatant inconsistencies. Here are four reactions, four impressions, four takes on Gnarls Barkley’s sophomore album, The Odd Couple.

Despite pairing a superlatively great rapper who doesn’t rap anymore with a producer who got famous because of an over hyped gimmick project, Gnarls Barkley’s St. Elsewhere was legitimately, surprisingly great. Perhaps their follow-up is even more solidly crafted – though nothing radically different, it displays more chemistry and confidence. Danger Mouse’s psychedelic hip hop soul shouldn’t work, but it does largely due to both Cee-Lo’s ear for pop-songwriting and his voice, one which drips with distinct personality. While The Odd Couple lacks the breakout power of a single like “Crazy,” it is a very cohesive album, playing like the less-popular-yet-more-interesting disc in a strong double album. I’d still like to hear Cee-Lo rapping again, but I guess that’ll have to wait for a Goodie Mob reunion album. [Kyle "Guante" Myhre]

While The Odd Couple doesn’t have that stand-out single like St. Elsewhere‘s “Crazy” the new honorable mentions this time around are fantastic, including “Run,” “Surprise” and “Blind Mary” (in all of its creepy coolness). That being said, even tracks that are seemingly forgettable at first really start to grow on me after repeated listenings. Once again Gnarls Barkley brings to mind the series of Katamari video games where a ball rolls around and collects all kinds of random items; in the duo’s case, that adhesive sphere contains styles, influences and sounds while Danger Mouse’s production smoothes out its jagged edges. [Review by guest contributor Jen Paulson]

The same lopsided disparity between St. Elsewhere‘s “Nectomancer” and “Smiley Faces” is paralleled throughout Gnarls Barkley’s second album, The Odd Couple. Its unique balance between the obscure and digestible suggests an attempt at parity, but to hear Cee-Lo growl “Say fuck me, well fuck you too” prior to a surfsteady homage tends to imply otherwise. Eventually it is within the honesty of the final track’s lyrics, all draped across its mellow beat where The Odd Couple finally delivers what it may have been aiming towards all along – balance. “A Little Better” is a plea, the type of poem that one writes just to get words on a page with the hope that they escape one’s thoughts if only for a single second. However inviting it may be to emotionally subtract oneself from a moment, sometimes it’s healing to embrace life’s confusion and grasp at extremes. [Chris DeLine]

Much has been made of Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse’s idiosyncratic attempt at making music. From a rational standpoint—such an ADD infused approach shouldn’t work (as it didn’t at times in the erratic St. Elsewhere). However, in The Odd Couple, somehow the disparate songs come together, making it a far more cohesive and listenable album than its predecessor. While Cee-Lo all but ignores his talents as a rapper, his foray as a 60′s soul-man could be placed on an equally tall pedestal—just listen to the darkly beautiful “Whose Gonna Save My Soul” for proof. When paired with Danger Mouse’s superb (if not eclectic) production the result is something unclassifiable, inimitable, and altogether genius. [Jon Behm]

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Also: Gnarls Barkley “St. Elsewhere” Review