There's a standard slew of questions that go along with a sophomore release following a popular debut album. Can they catch lightning in a bottle twice? What is this album's [insert title of band’s last huge hit song]? Have they abandoned their sound? Have they developed their sound? Will it match the hype?
You could ask all of those questions of Gnarls Barkley's The Odd Couple, but you'd be missing the point. Gnarls Barkley was never about matching hype and pleasing expectations; they were about fun. And this album, in its hits and its misses, never strays from a good time. One gets the feeling that Cee-Lo is constantly singing through a bemused grin, while Danger Mouse's production evokes a nostalgic, Motown feel with soulful samples.
The album opens with "Charity Case," a song that sounds at once from the future and an old-time jazz club. Fuzzy vocals and syncopated handclaps give it an eerie, yet goofy vibe. Cee-Lo sings every breath in an exaggerated staccato, “OOH AAH OOH AAH,” while a disembodied female voice sings harmony. The strange, otherworldly opening number is a perfect setup for the intensely human and comparatively stripped-down "Who's Gonna Save My Soul." For those who were wondering if Gnarls had another "Crazy" in them, look no further. It may lack the mainstream commercial appeal of the official song of summer 2006, but it's no less powerful. A crisp, high-hat-filled drumbeat gently drives the song, while a lush acoustic guitar sample plays under Cee-Lo's pleading, hurt vocals. The wrenching chorus, "Who's gonna save my soul now, who's gonna save my soul," is punctuated with a gentle, infectious guitar line that lodged itself in my head at first listen and still hasn't budged a hundred plays later.
The next two tracks, "Going On" and "Run," bring a level of excitement to the mix. Unmistakably Gnarls Barkley, the music defies easy classification with elements of hip hop, soul, funk, classic rock, jazz, and God knows what else. When I say Gnarls Barkley is futuristic, I don't mean space-agey. I mean that they're a peek into the future of music.
These two songs jauntily move the album along until it stops dead at the hands of "Would Be Killer." The following "Open Book" isn't much better. Those two feature one of Gnarls' worst instincts, an inexplicable desire to embody a B-movie horror flick ("Necromancer" anyone?). But bad as these tracks may be, they don't stand next to "Whatever," the worst song the duo has ever recorded and quite possibly the worst song I've heard all year. Cee-Lo snarls through the whines of an awkward teenager in the most grating voice he could muster.
It should be upsetting that a band with so much talent has the gall to include such utter crap on their album. But the thing with Gnarls' bad songs is that they embody the same carefree spirit of some of their best work, so they don't drag the album down. As much as I hate "Whatever"—and I really, really hate it—I can't get through the song without smiling.
The rest of the album provides more hits and misses. "Surprise" channels the Partridge Family, I think, but in a good way. "Blind Mary" is another one that cracks me up, and it's not that bad. "Neighbors" is an outstanding R&B track that makes the trip this far down the album worthwhile.
So to recap, Gnarls Barkley's The Odd Couple is brilliant, maddening, and home to both the best and worst songs I've heard this year. Does that make them crazy?
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