Published on May 22, 2006
Hey, watch out for that hype! Careful, man! You damn
near knocked it over!
I’ve kept a close watch on and fed the hype
surrounding one of urban music’s most dynamic duos, Gnarls Barkley,
for some time now; protecting it from the ignorant naysayers and
nurturing its promise for close to 30 days now (that’s a long time
on the rock clock).
Gnarls Barkley shattered records for single sales in
the UK…before it was even available in hard copy at the
stores. That’s enough hype to make anyone curious.
Too bad Danger Mouse of Grey Album and Gorillaz fame
and soul mate Cee-Lo of Goodie Mob quasi-fame kind of screwed it up
themselves. Following much ballyhoo, mystery and one of the best
singles of the decade, St. Elsewhere is not a terrible
record, but it isn’t great either. That sucks.
The super-collaboration of forward-thinking
beat-maker Danger Mouse and retro-reveler Cee-Lo became an
overnight sensation overseas with the blindside of simple genius
called “Crazy.”
It’s never really happened before that an A+ producer
chooses to work with an exceptional performer for the long haul of
40 minutes. It’s even rarer that a single like “Crazy” plops itself
into the lap of pop consciousness. Seriously, it’s a great
song.
That’s the pitfall of high anticipation, though. It
promises something new, something fresh or progressive, something
that will last forever either in the annals of pop history or the
mind of the listener. Then it’s packaged with 10 other tracks that
suck or quasi-suck.
To be fair, St. Elsewhere is a one-off deal
from its very foundation; there are no aspirations to make Gnarls a
legacy. But, the press attention and proven abilities of the
performers at least mandated a legendary fling that doesn’t expose
itself here.
Energizing opener “Go-Go Gadget Gospel” sticks with
the adept retrological adaptation of “Crazy,” but few other cuts
do. “Smiley Faces” revives the Motown style of R&B that’s been
missing for about 40 years. But, there is a blatant lack of upbeat
numbers like “The Last Time” to buoy snoozers like “The Boogie
Monster,” “Feng Shui,” and “Who Cares.”
I’m all for the darkness, sincerity and beauty in the
depression explorations of “St. Elsewhere” and “Just A Thought,”
but the funky promise of said hit single is lacking elsewhere (pun
intended, I guess).
At its core, it’s a summer record meant to be
absorbed specifically in the summer of 2006, when Gnarls Barkley
will presumably be touring incessantly and closing with “Crazy.”
The Violent Femmes cover “Gone Daddy Gone” adds to the fun and
shows these two artists’ affection for eclecticism.
“Necromancing” is just a disturbing foray into
cadaver loving. It may be some kind of statement against date
drugging and raping, but that would be too sociological for this
rather introspective record. Quite frankly, beyond its bewildering
content, it steals from the project as a whole.
St. Elsewhere proves to fall short of greater
expectations, but its freak flag-waving spirit gives it enough
appeal to be one of the most interesting (read: different) things
you’ll hear all year. I just expect two geniuses to have a little
more cohesion, and fun, than this.