Gnarls Barkley – Take you to St. Elsewhere by Carlos Vasquez
In today's commercial hip hop climate, we can often find ourselves predicting the next hit single or the next brand new artist's background and choice of material. Not with Gnarls Barkley and their new "St. Elsewhere" debut.
Made up of the critically acclaimed rapper/vocalist Cee-lo Green from Goodie Mob and U.K. producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse of the groups the Gorillas and DangerDoom, this eclectic group pushes the boundaries of current day hip hop. Concept wise, the album doesn't sound as cohesive as one might expect after hearing the fluid melding of Cee-lo's high pitched voice and Danger Mouse's electro funk on the No. 1 smash "Crazy". The LP moves from song to song appearing to have no particular direction or focal point. In various interviews, Gnarls Barkley claimed this was the intent. However, upon a closer listen you get the over all feeling that the two artists seemed to be on a search for an escape.
Sonically, the album is astonishing. Danger Mouse crafts a collection of lush sound beds with solid drum tracks to tantalize the ears. There is an obvious Hip Hop edge to the beats however; one can also feel hints of electronica and alternative rock in the mix. Cee-lo's soulful vocals add to the mix perfectly. They blend so well at times, it's hard to zero in on the lyrics as you are trapped in the deep melodies throughout the album.
They say hip-hop is dead however, Gnarls Barkley is a clear indication of the false nature of this statement. Hip Hop is alive and well once it's allowed to breathe and grow beyond what we all commonly expect it to be. Gnarls Barkley delivers a Hip Hop classic by escaping the boundaries created by mass media as to what Hip Hop music is. With the plethora of new debut CDs on my desk so far this year, let's hope more new and seasoned artists dare to do the same.
Gnarls Barkley – Take you to St. Elsewhere