If you could think of any word to describe the collaborative brainchild of former Dungeon Family rapper Cee-lo Green and pop producer Danger Mouse, you would probably think of the word odd. And you would not be too far off since the duo has named their sophomore studio album The Odd Couple - a constant reminder to the listener of their outcast status to everyone else. Although Gnarls Barkley can easily be viewed as comical because of their overly retro wardrobe and crazy hairstyles, their music tells a different story. On their leading single, "Run (I'm A Natural Disaster)," Cee-lo sings, "All I'm saying is sometimes I'm more scared of myself/You better move," leading into his screams of "Run children/Run for your life." Throughout the album, there is a prevalent cry of being dangerous and painfully alone, exemplified on the synthesized and chorused track "Charity Case," where Cee-lo sings, "Even my shadow leaves me alone at night."
The production doesn't deceive the listener into hearing a happy tune, because it is often as intense and sad as the lyrics with its heavy use of minor chords. However, the drum pattern for all the songs are quite similar, decreasing the degree of production versatility.
Nevertheless, this album seems to serve as a source of redemption from a dark period as Cee-lo screams for his karma to break him on "Open Book" and he cries for his soul to be delivered on his second single, "Who's Gonna Save My Soul." Despite the fact that the album is nearly 39 minutes of the same type of production and lyrical content, there is a degree of urgency within each song that makes The Odd Couple hard to put down.
