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Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
- 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, “Transformer,” 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.
Reviewer: Sam Belkin
new
Reviewer's Rating: 6
Reader's Rating: 7.00
Reader's Votes: 3
Added: 25-Mar-2008
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