Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple - Vinyl Record

With its cinematic origins, The Odd Couple is the perfect title for the second album by a duo who seem to spend as much time in wardrobe as in the studio, and whose recordings are often likened to film scores. Their biggest hit, 2006's "Crazy," was even built around a piece of a spaghetti western soundtrack. Yet, after the success of 2006's excellent St. Elsewhere, the collaboration of singer Thomas "Cee-Lo" became a permanent institution.

Two years later, The Odd Couple stands proudly alongside its predecessor. The basic formula hasn't been drastically changed—Danger Mouse's skittering beats and snap-crackle-pop production still provide the perfect platform for Cee-Lo's powerful, soulful wail. If anything, the duo has refined and sharpened their approach to a razor's edge. The key is the way the musical elements intersect: the Arthur Lee-meets-N.E.R.D. stroll of "Surprise," the jubilant mix of gospel, soul, and synthpop on "Going On," and the Otis Redding-shares-a-treadmill-with-Outkast vibe of the single "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)." The cumulative effect is that of a group with a trick bag full of endless happy surprises.