Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere

Elly Roberts reviews

Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere
Distributed by
Warners

    Cover

  • Cat.no: 2564632672
  • Released: April 2006
  • Rating: 4/10

Spawning another monster hit might not prove so easy for hip-hop duo Cee Lo and Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) aka Gnarls Barkley.

Their record-breakingsingle Crazy, took the music industry by storm, primarily through itsinitial download success. Main feature of the single apart from the hooks isCee Lo’s amazing voice. Kids don’t know it, but it’s actually 21st centurysoul music, not hip-hop.

Putting it bluntly, there isn’t another Crazy onoffer which might disappoint the casual listener. The album named after a UShospital drama does not live up to expectation, though it will sell (w/cMay 1, No.1, UK album chart) based on the single.

Some of it has an Outkast feel: the rasping and freewheeling Go – Go Gadget,Gone Daddy Gone, without then Fergie factor.


Dance-orientated Smiley Faces may well follow Crazy as the next single, withits Motown beat and basslines, dressed by some spacey synths.

Low points include pointless and mediocre fillers like Boogie Monster,Necromancer, Just A Thought (complete with Meg White drum bashing) andcacophonous Transformer. Back on hip-hop territory, Feng Shui, with itsplayfully mocking lyrics on how things should be.

Penultimate pacey andexpansive Storm Coming (shades of Massive Attacks’ Unfinished Sympathy) is awelcomed crescendo, before Cee Lo’s soulful magic holds together an averageLast Time. Most tracks don’t make the best use of Cee Lo’s incredibletalents, and a solo career may bring more opportunity to broaden his appeal.

Weblink:Gnarls Barkley.com


The full list of tracks included are :

1. Go-Go Gadget Gospel
2. Crazy
3. St. Elsewhere
4. Gone Daddy Gone
5. Smiley Faces
6. The Boogie Monster
7. Feng Shui
8. Just A Thought
9. Transformer
10. Who Cares?
11. Online
12. Necromancer
13. Storm Coming
14. The Last Time

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