The Odd Couple

"Got some bad news this morning/  Which in turn made my day"

Much like the Arctic Monkeys, I've been on a bit of a Gnarls Barkley binge as of lately.  For some reason, I just can't stop listening to them.  This is good because it gives me something to write about.  Now, while Gnarls Barkley's first album, "St. Elsewhere" (2006), received higher reviews than "The Odd Couple" (2008), I find myself enjoying the latter more.  Some may disagree, but I'll give you a few reasons why I like it so much.

First off, I want to start by saying that I do enjoy "St. Elsewhere;"  in fact, I enjoy it a lot.  However, something that makes "The Odd Couple" so great is that it has a much more seamless and encompassing mood throughout the album.  "St. Elsewhere" tends to be a bit all over the place and "The Odd Couple" flows much more smoothly from song to song.  I will agree that in terms of individual songs, "St. Elsewhere" is stronger: songs like "Crazy," "St. Elsewhere," and "The Boogie Monster" really show Barkley's creativity and versatility.  However, "The Odd Couple" definitely has the same juice.  More upbeat songs like "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" hearken back to "Go-Go Gadget Gospel," while "Would Be Killer" reminds listeners of "The Boogie Monster," solely because of its creepy factor.  

While Gnarls Barkley was praised for their experimentation in their first album, their second album is a bit more tame and down to earth.  Some might see this as a set back, I see it as a positive, only saying that the duo has found a bit of direction.  However, don't take that to mean there isn't any diversity within the album; "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" definitely strays from the common sound of "The Odd Couple."  Gnarls Barkley also manages to pull their funk roots back into "The Odd Couple" with "Neighbors" and "A Little Better."

Cee-lo's lyrics are inspired as ever, especially in "A Little Better" (Also, check out this cool video of "A Little Better" for MTV) which consists of rhyming triplets and really rounds the album out on a pleasant, ambient note.  While Cee-lo's range isn't as drastic as on "St. Elsewhere," he is much smoother and consistent, adding to the sound that branches through "The Odd Couple."  Dangermouse's beats are just as creative, some of the most impressive coming from the song "Charity Case," where he not only plays with the synthesizer and a running base line, but also manipulates Cee-lo's vocals in an impressively melodic way using several layered samples, as well as complimenting his voice with an almost omnipresent female vocalist.  Both Cee-Lo and Dangermouse successfully combine to take the smooth, yet some times heavy atmosphere from start to finish of "The Odd Couple."  

While there aren't as many stand out favorites as in "St. Elsewhere" and experimentation both vocally and instrumentally isn't as strong, "The Odd Couple" is a worthy successor to Gnarls Barkley's critically acclaimed debut album.  Cee-lo carries a passion and emotion in his vocals that is seldom seen in the music world and Dangermouse never ceases to amaze with his creativity and inspiration.  "The Odd Couple" successfully shows that Gnarls Barkley cannot only produce one great album, but two, and hopefully several more to come.  Take a listen here.  Also, I'd be lying if I didn't half write this review to put this picture of me and Cee-lo up:

"The Odd Couple": 84/100