The rise of Gnarls Barkley was as unexpected as it was deserved. After the pair climbed the charts with the ubiquitous 2006 anthem “Crazy,”  it seemed America had finally embraced one of hip-hop’s strangest duos as a genuine pop phenomenon. The oddity was only magnified by the group’s past. Singer Cee-Lo was already an industry veteran who cut his teeth as a member of Goodie Mob, and Danger Mouse was best known for his illegal Beatles and Jay-Z mash-up, “The Gray Album.”

 

Now that the group is fully established, it would be easy for it to capitalize on its success by releasing an album more reserved and formulaic than its wacky predecessor. Barkley,  never content to play by the rules, crashes out of the gate with “The Odd Couple.”

The disc is twice as dense and cohesive as “St. Elsewhere.” While the first disc relied on interpretations of the duo’s favorite genres — gospel, soul, rock, hip-hop and sketches of dozens more — this album constructs a wholly unified tone.

The brilliance is bridged by Cee-Lo’s nasal spin on Curtis Mayfield. Cee-Lo’s throwback pipes, fuller and more ambitious than on previous work, steal the show. He chews out tracks such as “Surprise” and “Neighbors,” dripping emotion even in the most understated lines. Lyrically, the singer is as on point as he ever has been.

Everything is made all the more salient with Danger Mouse’s thrilling production work, which has grown leaps and bounds since his underground beginnings. “Going On” blends the passion of a Baptist choir with the soul of a funk band, all fronted by a rock guitar. The dizzying sample of “Open Book” blends anxious drums with swelling strings. A less-skilled DJ would not be able to keep control of the clashing instrumentation, but Danger Mouse cooly tames the track.

The interplay between these two genre masters sounds even better when the songs are true collaborations, opposed to one of the members stealing the show. A great example of this dynamic is the first single “Run,” a simple yet infectious groove which, with the proper marketing, could be as big a crossover as Outkast’s 2003 smash “Hey Ya!”

Even the more subtle moments prove this meeting of the minds is far funkier than either’s solo work. Opening track “Charity Case” is a succinct introduction to the boys’ madcap sound. The track allows the boys to get crazy without losing their minds altogether.

On “The Odd Couple,” maturity fits the duo like a glove. From album to album, the group becomes more comfortable with experimentation. With a partnership this dynamic, the best is always yet to come.

"The Odd Couple" by Gnarls Barkley recieved three and a half out of four stars.