Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (CD 2006)

R&B, hip-hop, soul, blues, funk are just a few of the fine elements of music that Gnarls Barkley use to create their genre-bending debut album, St. Elsewhere. Gnarls Barkley is one half Danger Mouse, the beatmaster for the Gorillaz and the creator of the infamous Grey Album, and one half Cee-Lo, the rapper/crooner from Goodie Mob. Both equally important to the album, Danger Mouse’s beats and Cee-Lo’s rasp fuse together to make a hell of an album, one that takes you on a rollercoaster ride through 14 tracks that are equally spontaneous, creepy, and funky.

The album begins with the thumping and out of control “Go-Go Gadget Gospel,” a wild song that features the range and control Cee-Lo has over his voice. Between the nah-nah-nah’s and funky bass, you’ll think you’ve just walked into a carnival. The next track is the smash-hit single, “Crazy,” which samples a bit of an old gospel song combined with a moody bass line and takes a turn for the asylum, as Cee-Lo sings "I remember when I lost my mind/There was something so pleasant about that place.” And this take takes me exactly there. The fun continues with the nutty cover of the Violent Femmes, “Gone Daddy Gone.” A throbbing beat with a simple guitar riff underneath, it takes you to directly to the dance floor. “Smiley Faces” has a thick soul vibe to it, using the organs to full advantage with Cee-Lo’s baritone sound. “The Boogie Monster” has a slow tempo backed by bellowing vocals in the verses, which dramatically changes to a haunting whisper of a chorus. “Just A Thought,” a song about trying to overcome suicidal impulses while booming and crashing drums and thin guitar loops interweave with each other throughout. The next song is the completely insane “Transformer,” an energetic track that is complete with spazzed out beats and Cee-Lo’s crazy tenor shines throughout. This song is my favorite off the entire album, as it forces you to bob your head and tap your toes. Gnarls brings a disturbing dementia to the album with the slow grooving “Necromancer,” which features lyrics such as “Did you hear what I said/with this ring I thee wed/A body in my bed/she was cool when I met her/but I think I like her better dead.” “Storm Coming” is a high-speed track that doesn’t let go of your ears till the very end. The album closes with another genre, the very disco-influenced “The Last Time,” which doesn’t let up on the pace one bit throughout the song, as Cee-Lo one last time uses his seductive voice to ask us the question, “When was the last time you danced?" It’s been a long time, Cee-Lo, a long time. Thankfully, this album makes me want to do just that.

The only flaws that are keeping St. Elsewhere from getting a ridiculous high rating are the facts that some songs are a bit overproduced by Danger Mouse (Transformer for starters, although I still love the song) and that this album is entirely too short. Clocking in at 37 minutes, this is one album that I wish would have pushed into the upper forties or fifties. Although these factors don’t take anything away from the sheer enjoyment I get from this album, they are still notable and something you’ll notice.

Good quality CD, plays very well. Although it would be nice if it had a case but for 99p who cares! Good buy, thanks