Gnarls Barkley: The Odd Couple

With it's cinematic origins The Odd Couple is the natural title for thesecond album by a pair who seem to spend as much time in wardrobeas the studio and whose recordings are often compared to film scores.Their greatest hit, 2006's "Crazy" was even built around a chunk of aspaghetti western soundtrack. Yet after the success of 2006'sexcellent St Elsewhere, the collaboration of singer Thomas "Cee-LoGreen" Callaway and producer Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton hasbecome a permanent institution.Two years on, The Odd Couple stands up proudly alongside it'spredecessor. The basic recipe hasn't been drastically altered-DangerMouse's skittering beats and snap-crackle-pop production still providethe perfect platform for Cee-Lo's mighty, soulful wail. If anything, thepair have refined and sharpened their approach to a razor's edge. Thekey is the way the musical flavors intersect: the Arthur Lee-meetsN.E.R.D. stroll of "Surprise," the jubilant jumble of gospel/soul/synthpopon "Going On," the Otis Redding-shares-a-treadmill-with-Outkast feel ofthe single "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)." The cumulative effect is oneof a group whose trick-bag has a never-ending supply of happysurprises.