CHARLES KALOUSTIAN
If Dr. Dre and Gwen Stefani were to conceive a love child their baby would be Gnarls Barkley.
With an eclectic, multifaceted mix of sounds that has its own pulse, the album “St. Elsewhere” is Disneyland for the brain.
This is the debut album between Grammy nominated producer Danger Mouse, whose large cult following is no coincidence after his dubious mix of The Beatles’, “The White Album” and Jay-Z’s “The Black Album,” and soulful vocalist Cee-Lo Green, a member of the Goodie Mob, blending all genres of music.
Mix in flammable rhythmic beats and soothing vocals, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse make for strange friends but they’re in sync like clockwork.
It’s a complex record but sure to be an instant classic.
With a dab of Violent Femmes and a splash of Portishead, it employs the full spectrum of pop music and human emotion.
The first single, “Crazy,” a song about how evil love can be, sends a message to all of us who don’t want to move on from the punishment we hold ourselves in and warns of the insecurities about our relationships.
Morbid or not, “St. Elsewhere” is unpredictable but consistent. Its songs resonate through the mind and body like the vibrations in a subway tunnel as the train passes through.
Even Cee-Lo’s darker moments, the track “Just A Thought,” delve into the thoughts of suicide and overcoming it.
Supplied with unlimited ammo, this album appeals to the masses. Each track reinventing what music should sound like. There is no shortage of creativity.
Whether you’re looking for yourself or not, this album holds the key to opening your mind to new ideas. By connecting synapses that lack oxygen, it allows neurons to transmit clearer thoughts, a recipe for self renewing the brain.
Grade: A+