By Jacqueline Hlavenka
There was something so pleasant about going crazy with Gnarls Barkley (a.k.a. Cee-Lo Green and Danger Mouse) circa summer 2006. Never in recent pop history has a band reached the top of the charts with a jam that seemed both post-apocalyptic and downright groovy.
On their sophomore effort, “The Odd Couple,” the guys in Gnarls Barkley are still cranking out funky grooves with a dark side. This time around, though, the pairing seems somewhat off.
This is not to say Gnarls Barkley isn’t at the top of its game. “The Odd Couple” gives the listener the same hip-hop, electronica/soul fusion like in debut, “St. Elsewhere,” but, unfortunately fails to deliver the same hooks and overall panache.
The first track, “Charity Case” paces itself timidly and unravels slowly, with a steady beat that doesn’t seem to pick up at the end. Luckily, the smoky, slinky bass of “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” is eerily beautiful, as Cee-Lo belts out a cry for redemption. Listen for the cracks in his vocals that make the song all the more human.
Nevertheless, as a band, Gnarls Barkley is still looking for a place it belongs, like on the driving, dreamy “Going On,” where it tries to find “a place in the sun” somewhere beyond this world. On the following track, “No Time Soon,” they carry the weight of a sadness that will only heal with time.
The album’s latest single, “Run (I’m a Natural Disaster)” is catchy, but lacks the depth of 2006’s “Crazy.” After the tremulous drums and tribal chants in “Open Book,” “The Odd Couple” seems to fall into a blur. Tracks like “Whatever” and “Blind Mary” are downright tedious in style and structure. The album picks up with the funky surf rock progression of “Surprise,” which could easily become a summer beach anthem for shore towns across the country.
Where the album’s strong points lay are in the subtle moments. The closing track, “A Little Better,” a modern rhythm-and-blues ballad, Cee-Lo says with a stunning amount of grace, “I got a whole lotta pain in me, and it will always remain in me.”
With the success of their debut CD and with the addition of “The Odd Couple,” Gnarls Barkley is on the road to making their first, great soul record. And even if they’re not quite there yet, at least it’s a fun journey.
gnarlsbarkley).jpg (myspace.com/gnarlsbarkley)
(amazon.com)