Gnarls Barkley • St. Elsewhere

93

From the moment the preview web site at gnarlsbarkley.com was published over a year ago with a booming cracked speaker pumping out this intriguingly strange amalgam of soul singer and dj beats, you knew something special was up. How could the union of the Dungeon Family’s Cee-lo Green and DJ Danger Mouse not be? In something that can only truly be described as fantastic music, St. Elsewhere, Gnarls’ first offering, the pair run the gamut from r&b to rock to rap to somewhere in between and beyond. Trying to pinhole their music would only sell them short, because this album makes you want to boogie at one point and weep at the next and then rock out again. Cee-lo’s days as a bit player behind acts like Outkast and the Goodie Mob are hopefully behind him as he showcases not only his prodigious pipes but also his song-writing skills all over the album. Danger Mouse has showcased his skills with various artists like MF Doom and the Gorillaz, but you feel here he truly has found a partner.

"Go Go Gadget Gospel" just gives the listener a hint of the insanity and brilliance of the album, with its gospel tinge and driving beats. From there you have the from the heart soul of "Crazy", the bouncy cover of the Violent Femmes "Gone Daddy Gone," contemplations of suicide on "Just A Thought", whimsy on "Who Cares", and a little bit of love of the dead on "Necromancing." This is not to say that the album is perfect, because at times it does seem to be a bit over-produced and has a bit too much jammed in. Those of us who heard early rough cuts may have even preferred those. But when you find a true melding of musical minds that produces tunes that you turn to time and again, like Gnarls, why criticize? Just sit back, listen, groove, and enjoy.