Artist: Gnarls Barkley

Album:  The Odd Couple

Label: Downtown/Atlantic

The dynamic duo are back at it again for a second go around, the works of Gnarls Barkley and the production of Danger Mouse are fused together again for their sophomore LP, interestingly titled ‘The Odd Couple.’ With the huge success of their debut album, ‘St. Elsewhere,’ with a couple of Grammys and other prestigious awards under their belt, they definitely went an extra length on this sophomore LP. The title within itself already gives a certain aspect on what to expect from the album. The name Gnarls Barkley in itself is an American collaboration between multi-musical producer Danger Mouse and the versatile lyricist, Cee-Lo Green.

Dungeon Family member, Cee-Lo Green’s alter ego, Gnarls Barkley, expresses certain ideas through his lyrics developing a more subtle approach to an album that falls into a category of Neo-Soul. His expressions differ from that of Hip-Hop, he incorporates elements that introduce such original material that it puts up a question mark on where he’s planning to take this project and for how long he wants to hold on to this alter-ego? His expressions deal with some personal issues and some on an all original material. The lyrics themselves are far from the Cee-Lo that we are use to from the good old Goodie Mob days. But nevertheless he has built a character in Gnarls and has gained national attention for his unique sounds to a more abrupt and diverse audience, branching further into his musical career. If you listen closely to the lyrics they do express a meaning and a storyline giving you an idea what he’s trying to bring across the table. The mixture of his vocals and lyrics mesh extremely well.

Danger Mouse, who is known for his eclectic production with the Gorillaz for their Grammy winning album ‘Demon Dayz’ and for Jay-Z’s ‘The Grey Album’ which fused the works of Jay-Z’s ‘The Black Album’ with the Beatles’ ‘White Album.’ With The ‘Odd Couple,’ he gathered usage of different instruments and tones to incorporate the sounds that make up the resonance of Gnarls Barkley. His choice of elements gives the album life and diverse impulse rhythm with a distinct lively approach. His creative production shines through on all the tracks, basically making the talent equal in structure as the vocals run smoothly across the music.

On the real, the album takes you on a mystic journey through the music. If you sit down and take the time to listen to the lyrics closely and the tones that it flies across, it has a more relaxing feel that will guide you through his world. You will only get the full effect on a pair of headphones, sit back and vibe.

Notable tracks include: ‘Charity Case,’ ‘Going On,’ ‘Run,’ ‘Open Book,’ ‘No Time Soon,’ ‘She Knows,’ ‘Blind Mary,’ and ‘A Little Better.’