Hip hop is not dead. If it is then Gnarls Barkley is the undead zombification of the rotting corpse that is hip hop. And guess what, zombies are cool!
First of all I know what you are thinking. I set up this blog to review indie records and maybe in the process help introduce people to the incredible wealth of music out there on indie labels. I'm pretty sure you can get Gnarls at the local grocery store if not for 10 bucks at Best Buy.
This is for good reason though. It is for a lack of a thesaurus really really good. It is exactly what mainstream music needed, something bold but not too bold. It is something new but really not that new. Think of reimagined music that your weird old uncle would have had in his Pontiac. Soul has never been this hip.
This album is chock full of soul, weird funky beats, a Halloween vibe (did somebody say zombies?), and a runaway hit single that just will not go away. The video for Who Cares? is funny and weird at the same time. How can you not like a lonely Dracula walking the streets of present day New York?
My favorites include Go-Go Gadget Gospel, Who Cares?, Just a Thought and Storm Coming.
The beats are are all chopped up and the whole thing just feels very new. It's definitely not your daddy's soul music. I found out that Danger Mouse actually produced it and I'm not surprised. Everything that guy touches turns to gold.
Get it. It will be next to whatever those hacks the Killers have put out.
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