Gnarls Barkley
The Odd Couple

THE REVIEW

Just 2 years after the success of "St. Elsewhere" and the mega-single "Crazy," which catapulted Gnarls Barkley to the top of the world charts, they have released a new album, "The Odd Couple." Indeed, the strange pair formed by rapper Cee-Lo and DJ/producer Danger Mouse continues to surprise us with this record. Certainly much less radio-oriented than the explosive debut, and with a somewhat darker aura, especially in some tracks. But it is precisely in these tracks, like "Would Be Killer" and "Open Book," that the fresh and light songwriting is missing, the very quality that made us love them for songs like "Crazy," "Smiley Faces" and "Go-Go Gadget Gospel." Of course, there are notable tracks, mainly those that most refer back to the previous album. I'm speaking mostly of the singles "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)," perhaps the most famous song from this album, very danceable; also of high quality is "Going On," a soul rock piece with an excellent riff to open it. But the highlight of this album, in my opinion, is reached with the beautiful and melancholic ballad "Who's Gonna Save My Soul," dedicated by Cee-Lo to his late idol, James Brown, the godfather of soul. A truly memorable piece. Other good tracks include the opener "Charity Case," with a solid bass line, the acoustic-electronic ballad "No Time Soon," "Whatever," and the closer "A Little Better." The rest of the album, in my opinion, is negligible, as the tracks lack the cheerful sound that had characterized the duo, instead losing themselves too much in the melancholy of rather poor pieces like "Blind Mary," "Surprise," and "She Knows."

Thus, we are faced with a release decidedly inferior to its predecessor, yet not without its good points. An album that has been waiting for a worthy successor for years; although every year there is talk of a new Gnarls Barkley album, it seems it will never arrive, as it is always postponed due to the solo commitments of the two. We hope, therefore, that the strange couple will soon return to amaze us.