Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
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Free Music Notes for The Odd Couple
Free Music Review: A perfect couple!
Hit: 5 Stars
Gnarls Barkley return with their aptly titled sophomore album "The odd couple", delivering more of the same stuff that was on their smash hit Grammy winning platinum debut.
It is filled with the same kooky, psychedelic funk/pop, with lyrics touching on paranoia, mental anguish, and other dark aspects of human nature. While it may not contain another "Crazy", all 13 tracks are brilliant, from opening, sunny "Charity case" (with brief bursts of lovely harmonies), to the morose piano tinkled lament "Who's gonna save my soul".
"Going on" starts off deceptively almost country-ish, before morphing into an uptempo clap-fest with eerie harmonies against an organ back drop. Lead-off single "Run" is a sunny retro sounding song (a bit like Outkast's "Hey ya") featuring Cee-Lo wailing "Run children, run for your life" with chilling urgency.
Returning to sombre is the atmospheric "Would be killer". Starting with bird sounds is "Open book" before disjointed drums and swirling strings sweep in. Next is the psychedelic Beatles-esque "Whatever", the surf rock/dub feel of "Surprise", the atmospheric "No time soon" with skittery beats, the lo-fi sounding "She knows", and the Motown sounding "blind Mary".
The chilled trip hop "Neighbour" deals with an envious neighbour, while closing cut "A little better" is a brooding Blues-ey song dealing with mental anguish, but with a hopeful outlook (I love the echoing ending).
Each of the 13 tracks averages at about 3 minutes, and so cut right to the chase. For those who loved "St. Elsewhere" (and not just the "Crazy" single), you will love this. A fitting follow up.
Free Music Review: "Is it possible you were hurting worse than me?"
Hit: 5 Stars
Gnarls Barkley's second album is a good step forward for the duo. It's not what I'd call better than their debut, but it's hard to say it's worse, and it's definitely more focused. It's not quite as fun, but it's still plenty entertaining. There aren't any crazy songs like "Transformer", but they still have some fun in between some more depressing and downbeat songs. Despite the shift in tone, it's identifiably the same band, with Danger Mouse coming up with some great beats and Cee-Lo providing nice R&B vocals. Nothing is as immediately grabbing and infectious as "Crazy", but few songs ever written are.
The album's without a single standout song, but almost all of them are good enough to keep the album enjoyable all the way through. Some enjoyable moments are the female vocals in "Charity Case", the chorus in "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)", and the hand claps and backing choir in "Surprise". "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" has a great music video, and is a very good song, with a morose but memorable beat and nice chorus. "Open Book" sounds almost tribal, but has a syncopated rhythm keeping it modern and some powerful singing. "Blind Mary" is the record's lightest-hearted song, and a pretty catchy one. "Neighbors" also has nice vocal work. It's a pretty consistent album, it just doesn't quite reach their previous effort's heights. They've stated they're only going to create one more album, so I hope it continues to evolve their sound as much as this did.
Free Music Review: Great album - banish any 'sophomore' effort concerns
Hit: 5 Stars
Familiar with both Mouse and Cee-lo's previous works, I checked out Elsewhere and was very impressed. The album was brilliant and even after hearing Crazy eleventy million times over that summer, even that song was still listenable and fun.
Upon hearing that their second album was coming out, I worried for a moment about the sophomore jinx and how it could effect what was originally a bit of a novelty group. I feared a cheap Crazy remake and some hit-and-miss tunes. Banish the thought. Even the single Run evokes Crazy in catchiness only, contrasting Crazy's off-beat drum line with a simple and quick tempo driven by a zippy high-hat and sing-alongs. But the real joys can be found with the rest of the album. This second effort mixes hip-hop-ish beats with jangly 50's pop song chimes and effects, layered over the top with occasionally playful, occasionally deep and introspective lyrics, molded into pleas, entreaties, and deadpans by Cee-lo's always intriguing vocal delivery.
The closest thing to a clunker for me is track 6, I just can't get with the beat (or lack of!). And not every musical foray by these two is going to work for everyone, but their moments of brilliance buy a lot of goodwill for the infrequent B- track that occasionally shows up. And for A+ tracks, Charity Case, Going On, and Surprise are all gems.
If you liked Elsewhere, do pick up this album as well. You won't be disappointed.
Free Music Review: Don't be surprised
Hit: 5 Stars
Back again, Gnarls Barkley cannot fail to deliver. Don't be surprised, though, if it takes more than one listen to get hooked. It happened on the second for me. Why, you ask? To me, it's because this is much more of a psychologically charged album than its feel-good predecessor. As exposed in St. Elsewhere, the feel of the soul-infused craziness moves deeper to a more manic state of soulful agitation in the Odd Couple. It may be a metaphor of the GB persona as there is a Jekyll & Hyde feel to this album; GB has descended from a self-aware state of craziness to a musical personality that seems to border on insanity, an ego uncontrolled and exploring its limitations.
There is a definite progression in the songs from "Charity Case" all the way to "Surprise". If one can get beyond the groove, the precisely orchestrated beats, you might just feel the transformation. Lyrically, the Odd Couple is kinda creepy, albeit gloriously set to music. In this way it's more subtle than St. Elsewhere, but its depth is piercing. It's about the pain of being a self-described natural disaster, an ugly wretch, an open book for all to see, though possessing a final chapter yet to be written. There's a whole lot of pain, but a whole lot of soul here as expected, too. Danger Mouse is a genius, and Cee-Lo has got to be the reincarnation of Otis Redding. A perfect match.
Free Music Review: I can't turn it off!
Hit: 5 Stars
Now normally as a rule I do not review music, because my taste in music is so odd that a reader following my reviews would be quite upset with me. I listen to everything, and I have completely different reasons why I listen to them, the reason I listen to Gnarls Barkley is because it is an excellent soundtrack to my life, esp. when driving.
I almost didn't review it because of the looks I have given myself over past reviews made about music that were more like ramblings over some cute guy. At 25 cuteness is no longer a factor, and if it is at 25 I should never tell anyone that. But this cd is so good I had to leave a few thoughts.
Its so simple, its delicious. It throws back to songs that make you want to do the monkey and I felt like buying a couple of vintage go go boots and get down. At the same time he speaks on some complex, well not so complex emotions, like being a teen alone in the world ( I was one of those once) about people envying you and not knowing what you sacraficed to get there. About self love, self hate, and helping people just to make yourself feel good. You may not think you'll like it, but you will, this music is so universal.
I wish I could be more complex about it, but its just good music, like their first album, you can listen to it over and over and never get tired of it and never feel like its old.