MUSIC REVIEWS
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Matt Jameson
Best described as a psychedelic blend of pop, hip-hop, soul, and rock – Gnarles Barkley is one of the most standout releases of 2006. The dynamic combination of Danger Mouse and the consistently underrated Cee-Lo flows smoother together than rum and coke.
Brian Burton, a.k.a. Danger Mouse was named among the Men of the Year by GQ mag in 2004 and won the 2005 “WIRED Rave Award” for his signature style of producing fresh and completely original beats. He was originally noticed as an innovated mix artist blending together hip-hop with many different styles of music. His solo career was just taking off as he put the finishing touches on this new release. Truly an industry work-a-holic with success eminent and talent limitless.
Thomas Calloway, a.k.a. Cee-Lo of the famed Goody Mob lends his talented vocals, rap skills, and lyrical clout. Following a semi-successful major label solo release titled “Cee-Lo Green the Soul Machine”, Cee-Lo once again found himself overlooked as other more radio friendly pop-hop acts were given the spotlight.
This time around in Gnarls Barkley, both creative musicians have struck pay dirt. Not since Linkin Park has an act managed to stun the industry with a new take on the hip-hop game. This album feels like a roller coaster or experimentation into numerous styles of music, while somehow pulling off the effect of sounding very controlled and regulated.
Being prior fans of these two musicians separately, I can tell you I certainly never expected them to team up with one another. What a wonderful surprise this duo has managed to release. With their unusual styles of humor evident even in the press promo photos (most notable their Napoleon Dynamite parody), this partnership of the minds never fails to disappoint.
Cee-Lo’s always-impressive vocal talents lend themselves perfectly to the bizarre and sometimes surreal beats. Both men seem to have worked toward a new sound with this release, so loyal fans of these solo artists should expect to be surprised by what they hear. Boasting their fresh new sound, Gnarles Barkley aim to liven up the genre and push the limits to some odd yet fun places challenging the listener to rethink hip-hop.
This isn’t a record for everyone however, especially those who dig hardcore rap. You won’t find the usual thug vibe on this release. This one is more about having fun, and making fun of those who take the whole scene too seriously. I guarantee that you will not hear anything else like this record for quite some time. It’s one of those releases that will take a bit to catch on, but will then be heavily imitated by new emcees looking for the next movement.
I won’t give away too much about the tracks, except that each song will sound completely different from one another and will offer surprises around many corners. Pick this one up if you need some fresh groundbreaking sounds for this summer. This is the one the industry will be talking about, the beginning of many new things. Why wouldn’t you want to check it out? Hit up Amazon.com to sample before you buy and add some creativity to your hip-hop collection.
