And I Thought Walter & Jack Were Odd

When St. Elsewhere dropped i was always sure that Dangermouse would provide a varied & unusual backdrop. But while Cee-Lo's talent was never in doubt & his hook duties have always been on point, i was sceptical as to whether he could carry an album all the way through with his singning voice. Oh how misplaced my scepticism was as the man hit it out da park (as you people across the way would put it). So the obvious questions now arise: Would dangermouse carry on where he left off & deliver more quality beats? Will Cee-Lo deliver more of the same vocal greatness? Or on the flipside, will the dreaded sophomore jinx hit 'em square in the nether regions? As soon as the jazzy drums, organ & electro bass line of Charity Case hit my Sennheisers, i knew all was well. The 1st thing that is apparent with The Odd Couple is that this is a more cohesive album than the last 1, whereas St. Elsewhere was more of a collection of great songs. Dangermouse never fails to draw on an ultrawide pallette of influences on his beats with each track bringing something different to the table. From the Mark Ronsonesque (sorry for the obvious comparison) Bossa/Nu Funk of Going on (my personal pick for next single) to the laid back Trip Hoppy vibe of Would Be Killer to the Brit Pop sound of Blind Mary, its just superb from start to finish. My Peronal favs (since i couldn't decide between the 2) are Neighbor, which sees a superbly layered mellow Hop Hop beats allied with a 60's era backing vocal vibe. And She Knows, with it's jungle noises, eerie flute and sparse funky claps. Even the 'worst' track on the album, The Chaotic (on puirpose) Open Book, will grow on the open minded with repeated plays. Once again, i only seem to review stuff that i like & i love this album. An inspired project from an inspired duo.

p e a c e

Gnarls Barkley - Surprise

Gnarls Barkley - Would Be Killer

Gnarls Barkley - Charity Case