Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
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Free Music Notes for The Odd Couple
Free Music Review: Shockingly Good!
Hit: 4 Stars
Their first LP seemed half baked, but this is an entirely different and better affair. Picking up where "Crazy" and "The Boogie Monster" left off, but moving boldly forward, Danger Mouse has fully blossomed into a really dope producer and Cee-lo's pipes have matured, resulting in a funky urban diary latered with grimy retro influenced hooks and samples. This record truly surprised me and is a masterpiece of sorts. Free Music Review: Best of 2008 So Far, But Less Than I Expected
Hit: 5 Stars
From their collaboration on the song "Benzi Box" from the Danger Doom album, it was easy to see that Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo had incredible potential. In their first album, "St. Elsewhere", they took the world by storm with "Crazy", winning Best Song of the Year in 2006, and the world has been eagerly awaiting their second album.
Well, it's here now, and it's as amazing as could be expected. It doesn't blow "St. Elsewhere" out of the water by any means; it's easily apparent it wasn't meant to. "The Odd Couple" is a step in a different direction, with a more relaxed approach. Instead of the constant, break-neck tempo of their first album (although it's certainly still present in the single "Run") they've opted to go with a more natural sound. This could prove to be a wise move, as it makes it harder to think of Gnarls Barkley as part of a single genre. Despite the varied styles of their debut, it had an indisputable high-gloss polish that would lead some to label them as 'pop'.
The new sound is composed mainly of bass, hand clapping, and backup vocals, giving it a sound that many would describe as nostalgic. The good news is that it's still fresh, and I guarantee you haven't heard anything even remotely like it in years.
Unfortunately, although this is a great album and probably will prove to be the best of 2008, there doesn't seem to be a candidate for Best Song on "Odd Couple". However, the songs "Going On", "Run", and "Surprise" should be enough to satisfy fans. I also enjoy "Blind Mary", "Charity Case", and "Who's Gonna Save My Soul".
Overall, I would give this album a well deserved 5 stars, although no song stands out like "Crazy", the whole provides more than enough to go around. Watch and see as this album proves to be the best of 2008!
Free Music Review: Barls Gnarkley
Hit: 2 Stars
I don't like the term "sophomore slump." I feel like a lot of bands that experience this either only have one good album in `em or are victims of unwarranted high expectations. We won't call Gnarls Barkley's new record "The Odd Couple" a sophomore slump, then, in the hopes that they can again reach the greatness of "St. Elsewhere." Their new album, "The Odd Couple," suffers from the black plague of pop music: mediocrity.
Gnarls Barkley was (is?) by no means a mediocre band. Their explosive pop single "Crazy" is the best song of the post-millenium decade, and will likely remain so. Their debut album is a wild romp through psychedelic soul, hip hop, punk, electronica, you name it. They are pioneers of this strange new breed of pop music that is seeping out of the ashes of the digital wreckage like a post-apocalyptic super-species. But this is not why their first record was good. It may be why the band appeals to such a broad audience, but it is not why the album is good. "St. Elsewhere" is good because it has good songs. The title track and others were like nothing you'd ever heard before. They were crafty, catchy, and fun, yet could be heavy and heartfelt. Pop music with substance was a breath of fresh air. Cee-Lo is a great singer and lyricist, and Danger Mouse's personality is equally present in beat form.
"The Odd Couple" continues the tradition of the first album, showcasing the band's melting pot of style. It just doesn't have as good songs. Not bad, either. Just kind of insignificant and, what was that word?... mediocre. There are no alarms or surprises on this record. It's too heavy on preach and too low on sweets. It lacks the craftiness and hooks and instead spotlights Cee-Lo's lessons on how much more spiritually enlightened he is than you.
Even the title of the album was kind of disappointing. Gnarls Barkley is known for their appropriation of other duos in pop culture, dressing up like "Doc" and "Marty McFly" from the "Back to the Future" series, or like characters from "Napoleon Dynamite" or "Star Wars." It's certainly fun, but for the title of their second and much-anticipated album, it's just too obvious, too easy. It's as if not much thought was put into it, and the lackluster hooks support this. Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo are certainly an odd couple, but come on, tell me something I don't know.
Free Music Review: Pretty on the inside.
Hit: 4 Stars
Gnarls Barkley are back for their second go around, and not much has changed. Two years ago, I felt their debut was one of the most over-hyped releases of 2006, and I still stand by that claim. "The Odd Couple" is slightly better, but the duo didn't really capitalize on their debut, they just did more of the same, only to a less annoying extent.
I can't put my finger on what the problem is, but it seems to me that Gnarls Barkley try too hard. Listening to "St. Elsewhere" and "The Odd Couple", they both sound very labored. "The Odd Couple" has both strong and weak tracks. "Run (I'm A Natural Disaster)", the first single, could be interpreted as either exciting or irritating. It's so manic that it can get on the nerves after repeated listens. I think the first single should have been "Going On" or "Blind Mary", and then "Surprise" or "Neighbors". "Charity Case" and "Whatever" are also good, along with "Who's Gonna Save My Soul". One of the more interesting tracks, "Open Book" shows Gnarls Barkley stretching themselves in a different direction, but sadly, it's only that one song.
"Would Be Killer", "No Time Soon", "She Knows" and "A Little Better" slow the cd down and seem like filler to me.
Overall, I liked "The Odd Couple" slightly better, but I keep wondering if they're going to do something different. Maybe to others they sound original and innovative, but to me they sound like Terence Trent D'Arby meets James Brown meets Sam & Dave. They're mining ground that's already been mined. "Open Book" is maybe more like Tricky or other drum 'n' bass artists, but it was a different direction that was interesting to me.
Perhaps on their next cd they will stop trying to throw everything but the kitchen sink into their mix and instead focus their talents on a more cohesive album. Four stars, not five. Above average, but not great.
Free Music Review: Great Album. Favorite of 2008
Hit: 5 Stars
St. Elsewhere was my favorite CD of 2006, and 2007 saw little challenge. However, The Odd Couple takes the cake. The sounds have matured, but not the "sounds more and more like The Neptunes" way that most progressive producers. Cee-Lo is pumping out masterful vocals (as always) and dangermouse is really great in his production. This is the modern day A-Team of music.
Back to the CD.
I loved every single song EXCEPT for "Whatever" just on a philosophical level. I'm a teen, and I like the escapism of all the other songs, not so much relating to a large black man with a great voice with millions of dollars in his bank account.