Gnarls Barkley’s St. Elsewhere appeals to everyone
With its catchy hooks, soulful sound and meticulous digital production, the debut album is a hit
By Erin Sanders, contributing writer
Posted on August 28, 2006

Driving in the car the other day, my mom exclaims, “I know this song! Wait, I know it! Don’t tell me. It’s called ‘Crazy’ right? And it’s by Gnarls Barkley, right?”

By this point in the summer everyone and their mom has heard and has probably memorized the lyrics to Gnarls Barkley’s first single “Crazy,” off of their premiere album St. Elsewhere.  

“Crazy” has been called the song of the summer, but who is Gnarls Barkley? He is the organized jumble of the soulful, southern voice of Atlanta legend Cee-Lo, mixed by the polished prowess of music producer Danger Mouse. Cee-Lo (aka Thomas Calloway), once a member of the Goodie Mob, played a pivotal role in the Dirty South movement of rappers within the past few years. He has two previous solo releases and has also been musically linked to Timbaland, The Neptunes and Ludacris.

Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) has been most commonly attributed for The Grey Album, which mixed The Beatles’ White Album with The Black Album of Jay-Z, an album that was later recalled for copyright infringements. He was also attributed with the beats from last summer’s release of Demon Days, the second album from the UK’s The Gorillaz.

Last summer’s “Feel Good, Inc.” from Demon Days was considered 2005’s song of the summer, and with this summer’s “Crazy,” Danger Mouse is rising to the top of the charts. But many people do not get beyond the singles released. How’s the rest of the CD?

The CD makes you snap yuor fingers, but has a darker side too. In the song, “Just A Thought,” the lyrics are about fighting off suicidal thoughts, while others discuss heartbreak and schizophrenia. One of my favorite tracks off of St. Elsewhere is “Sotrm Coming.” Cee-Lo sings, “Hey, hey, hey, there’s truth in the thunder/ Love in the lightening / The feeling is frightening and isn’ it exciting?” The quick beats of the album give it an old-school vibe, especially when Cee-Lo’s deep, soulful voice belts out the quirky lyrics, like in “Smiley Faces.”

On several of the tracks, you can easily hear Danger Mouse’s influence. For instance, “The Boogie Monster,” which sounds like it could have been taken off of a Gorillaz album.

For the rest of the tracks on St. Elsewhere, you’ll have to trust that they are equally groovin’. I love this album and it is constantly in rotation on my computer. Listen carefully though, many of the lyrics contain subtle clues about Gnarls Barkley’s true identity.