I listened to Gnarls Barkley’s first album, St. Elsewhere, last year. As I thoroughly enjoyed it, I decided to give their second one a try.
The album starts off with the familiar sound of a tape machine being turned on. This sound effect bookends the first album as well, giving it a more cohesive feel. Almost immediately, the track gives way to a retro 60’s sound complete with backbeat, handclaps, and psychedelic background vocals. The bass line sounds like it could be late Radiohead albeit simpler. Track two, by contrast, has a slower, more soulful feel. Undoubtedly, throughout both of these tracks, the trademark Gnarls Barkley sound can be heard. Unlike the first album, however, this one contains only 13 tracks, and is a little bit longer. Three is Going On, an upbeat song reminiscent of Cee Lo’s single Fuck You from his most recent solo album The Lady Killer. Since he makes up half of Gnarls Barkley (the other half being producer Danger Mouse), this would stand to reason. Some people might question the reasoning behind even forming a musical duo comprising of a solo artist and a producer. Why not just release a solo album and have Danger Mouse produce it? Gnarls Barkley however, is a more collaborative effort. Subsequently, it makes since for the two to form an actual duo or group as it reflects the more equal footing that they’re on creatively, as well as compositionally.
Track four is titled Run (I’m A Natural Disaster) and is the album’s first single. This song, like a lot of the ones on this album, has a definite retro feel to it. This sometimes starts with the sample itself, which in this case was originally recorded in 1968. I like this track for its studio experimentation. Like the first album, this one is a whorl wind trip, resulting from abrupt endings and jarring juxtapositions. Would Be Killer is track number five. It has an eerie sound reminiscent of the song The Boogie Monster from their first album. Six is Open Book. I’m not sure it’s one of my favorites, but I do appreciate their creativity. The lyrics are intriguing and a bit heavier. This track is very exotic with a sound that appears (almost) to come straight out of the jungles of Africa. The next track brings about a welcome change. Titled Whatever, it is a little lighter in nature. Because it doesn’t try too hard to be deep, I feel like I can take it more seriously. Track eight continues the throwback theme with a retro drumbeat and excellent background vocals right out of the sixties. The lyrics are decent and the ending is enjoyable. Even so, this is pretty typical Gnarls Barkley.
Track nine brings provides a nice change of pace. In fact, Cee Lo’s voice is almost unrecognizable for the first couple of lines. The background vocals are appealing as well. During the verses they have a 5th Dimension sound. In the choruses however, their sound is darker in nature. Ten is one of the less remarkable tracks on the album. Still, I have to give the duo credit for the amount as well as the variety of sounds and genres they manage to pack into one album (one that’s less than 40 minutes at that!). All of the songs have their own uniquely identifiable style, which is enjoyable. Track eleven is Blind Mary. This track is probably my favorite on the album. The tune is catchy, the lyrics are cute, what more can I say? Neighbors is the next song. It is decent enough, but seems to go on a bit long. Of course with this group, songs typically last less than three minutes so I guess it’s all relative. Track thirteen provides a solid finish. Titled A Little Better, it has a nice soulful quality that is great to hear. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but upon listening to it again, I’ve decided it’s a respectable finish.
The Odd Couple is a respectable follow up to Gnarls Barkley’s debut. It’s a solid album containing a great deal of diversity and interesting twists and turns as well as well-written songs at its core. That being said, I do not think that it is as good as their first. When Gnarles Barkley debuted in 2006 they had a fresh, new sound. Because they had never really collaborated together, they sounded like nothing that had come before. Rather than taking this sound and developing it or changing things up completely, they essentially released St. Elsewhere II. Unfortunately, this album isn’t even as cohesive as the first. This doesn’t mean that it isn’t a decently written and solidly produced album. I just would have hoped for more of a change, let alone development, for their follow up.
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