Commonwealth Times

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Gnarls Barkley's latest release, "The Odd Couple," is about as dark as Courtney Love reciting Edgar Allan Poe. The opiate-induced blend of Danger Mouse's sopping trip-hop beats and Cee-lo's martyr-gospel voice pulls at the bloodiest heartstrings while being lively enough to remind us why the band's last album, "St. Elsewhere," was so successful.

"The Odd Couple" starts burnin' right off the bat with "Charity Case," a killin' dirty south-influenced tune impossible to classify. Residing somewhere in the realm of post-modern funk and trip-hop, the infectious Black Eyed Peas drumbeat and the "Oh! Chaaa!" vocal pattern does well to set the album's positive vibes. The lyrics foreshadow the pain Cee-lo lays on our ears in almost every song.

"Don't wanna bother you baby, but I'm bleeding too. Are you needing me, like I'm needing you? Even my shadow leaves me all alone at night. Guess I need to start to take my own advice," Cee-lo sings in "Charity Case."

It's evident Gnarls still seeks that flavor of catchiness that made "Crazy" such a smash hit, especially in "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" and "Charity Case." The songs feature driving grooves - chock-full of festive percussion and background vocals that are typical of hit singles - while keepin' it spooky with tense climactic chord progressions and frantic vocals from Cee-Lo.

Danger Mouse's producing shines and reeks at random times. Sparsely sampled gun-cocking sounds come off as worn techniques, while the retro guitars and rhythmic flavors span decades, adding to this mysterious genre that Gnarls Barkley is on the forefront of developing.

In keeping with the constantly shifting realm of electronica, "No Time Soon" combines elements of trip-hop, industrial and Nintendo music with a heartwrenching introduction complete with lush gospel-choir harmonies.

"Open Book" opens with an arrhythmic Squarepusher-esque drum 'n' bass beat, dreamy strings and oddly tricked-out chorus backgrounds. That big-city-slick sound engineering is annoyingly present throughout the album, hindering the enjoyment of otherwise well-produced songs.

"Whatever" screams teenage angst and unresolved torment.

"Talk to my counselor 'bout how I feel. Everyone agrees I could use some help. I love my girl more than I love myself. But she's goin' steady with someone else."

Indeed. Sounds like the lyrics were dug up from a high-school diary and put to early-'90s Seattle heroin rock to reach a younger crowd. Some things are better left buried.

Gnarls' "Surprise" is probably the most chronologically diverse tune on the album. Background vocals, a la "California Dreamin,' " and a drumbeat almost identical to "Charity Case" keep us torn in a vast rift residing somewhere between the surfer '60s and Outkast-dominated 2006.

Grade: C+

Download (don't steal): "Surprise" by Gnarls Barkley

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[Click to enlarge]

Gnarls Barkley's latest release, "The Odd Couple," is about as dark as Courtney Love reciting Edgar Allan Poe. The opiate-induced blend of Danger Mouse's sopping trip-hop beats and Cee-lo's martyr-gospel voice pulls at the bloodiest heartstrings while being lively enough to remind us why the band's last album, "St. Elsewhere," was so successful.

"The Odd Couple" starts burnin' right off the bat with "Charity Case," a killin' dirty south-influenced tune impossible to classify. Residing somewhere in the realm of post-modern funk and trip-hop, the infectious Black Eyed Peas drumbeat and the "Oh! Chaaa!" vocal pattern does well to set the album's positive vibes. The lyrics foreshadow the pain Cee-lo lays on our ears in almost every song.

"Don't wanna bother you baby, but I'm bleeding too. Are you needing me, like I'm needing you? Even my shadow leaves me all alone at night. Guess I need to start to take my own advice," Cee-lo sings in "Charity Case."

It's evident Gnarls still seeks that flavor of catchiness that made "Crazy" such a smash hit, especially in "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" and "Charity Case." The songs feature driving grooves - chock-full of festive percussion and background vocals that are typical of hit singles - while keepin' it spooky with tense climactic chord progressions and frantic vocals from Cee-Lo.

Danger Mouse's producing shines and reeks at random times. Sparsely sampled gun-cocking sounds come off as worn techniques, while the retro guitars and rhythmic flavors span decades, adding to this mysterious genre that Gnarls Barkley is on the forefront of developing.

In keeping with the constantly shifting realm of electronica, "No Time Soon" combines elements of trip-hop, industrial and Nintendo music with a heartwrenching introduction complete with lush gospel-choir harmonies.

"Open Book" opens with an arrhythmic Squarepusher-esque drum 'n' bass beat, dreamy strings and oddly tricked-out chorus backgrounds. That big-city-slick sound engineering is annoyingly present throughout the album, hindering the enjoyment of otherwise well-produced songs.

"Whatever" screams teenage angst and unresolved torment.

"Talk to my counselor 'bout how I feel. Everyone agrees I could use some help. I love my girl more than I love myself. But she's goin' steady with someone else."

Indeed. Sounds like the lyrics were dug up from a high-school diary and put to early-'90s Seattle heroin rock to reach a younger crowd. Some things are better left buried.

Gnarls' "Surprise" is probably the most chronologically diverse tune on the album. Background vocals, a la "California Dreamin,' " and a drumbeat almost identical to "Charity Case" keep us torn in a vast rift residing somewhere between the surfer '60s and Outkast-dominated 2006.

Grade: C+

Download (don't steal): "Surprise" by Gnarls Barkley

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