Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple reviewed

The Odd Couple Gnarls Barkley Atlantic Records Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Gnarls Barkley, the musical collaboration of DJ Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green, rush-released its second album, The Odd Couple, nearly three weeks before it was supposed to hit the shelves.

The Odd Couple starts off a bit slow and differently than the group's first album, St. Elsewhere. The distinctive Gnarls Barkley sound is absent until the third song of the album, "Going On." The first two songs - "Charity Case" and "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" - are slower than the songs fans got used to on the group's debut album.

Still, The Odd Couple has a handful of songs that make fans realize why they got into Gnarls Barkley. Quality beats, creative lyrics and the soulful voice of Cee-Lo make the album solid throughout. It lacks the energy we've seen from the group in the past, but the overall sound and vocals are still rich and powerful.

Though the beats are more mellow than some older songs, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse prove they can still write quality, sometimes quirky, lyrics.

"She's my friend, she doesn't judge me / She has no idea I'm ugly / So I've absolutely nothing to hide / Because I'm so much prettier inside," Cee-Lo sings on "Blind Mary," a song about his blind lover. The lyrics are original and creative, a characteristic of nearly every Gnarls Barkley song.

Overall, The Odd Couple lacks the excitement and energy we've seen from Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse in the past, but it is still an enjoyable listen from start to finish.