The Odd Couple (LP)[Limited]

Rolling Stone (p.60) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "'Charity Case' is Gnarls at their finest, with chain-gang grunts and gasps, tinkling chimes, spy-movie guitar and R&B organ..." Spin (p.91) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[O]ne of the remarkable things about THE ODD COUPLE is its seamlessness....It's a parti-colored pop trip unlike anything else out there." Entertainment Weekly (p.65) - "ODD is impeccably produced and impressively layered, an esoteric love letter to both of-the-moment studio trickery and bone-deep vintage soul." -- Grade: B+ Uncut (p.95) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Most of these tracks combine a seductive, upbeat surface with unsettling sonic textures beneath....The result is a milestone in modern psychedelic soul." CMJ - "'Who's Gonna Save My Soul' is a haunting three-minute journey through sultry film noir alleys, replete with a melancholic plucked guitar..." Vibe (p.69) - "The finished product has glorious results -- it sounds like an antique shop where dusty albums by Ennio Morricone, The 5th Dimension, and Reverent C.L. Franklin are always playing on three turntables." Q (Magazine) (p.127) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[A] pop record at heart....The production seems brighter, sharper, with more emphasis on melody -- exemplified by the haunting 'Who's Gonna Save My Soul'..." Blender (Magazine) (p.77) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Gnarls tap in to the lingering power of old soul music: the terse structures, the testifying vocals, the danceable beats and, especially, the full-fledged melodies..." Record Collector (magazine) (p.92) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The album brings] a little bit of dark imagination into pop's mainstream....Cee-Lo's one of the most interesting hip-hop/R&B stars..." Clash (Magazine) (p.113) - "'No Time Soon' is a cracked-magenta torch song of staggering beauty...and 'Who's Gonna Save My Soul' bursts clean out of the widescreen soul frame..."

“Crazy”のデビュー・ヒットで名を馳せた怪コンビの2作目は、前作以上にシー・ローの才能が際立った一枚となった。変幻自在な怪鳥ヴォーカルはいっそうソウルフルに炸裂し、強烈にブルースを感じさせるものに。現在はベックと絡んでいるデンジャー・マウスもこの濃い素材を見事にポップへと昇華させていて、完成品はまさにハイブリッドとしか言いようがない仕上がりだ。両者の出会いが必然だったと改めて納得させられる傑作!
bounce (C)金 雄大