Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere

I'm proclaiming now: this will be the sleeper hit of pop music's summer.

Hip-hop artist Cee Lo and producer/dj extraordinaire DJ Dangermouse come together to create a solid album that runs between the hip-hop and R&B lines, complete with head boppin' beats, a Top40-friendly track or two, and a solid theme running behind the album.

Aside: For those that don't know, Dangermouse (not to be confused with the 80s british cartoon hero) is one of the brilliant artists behind the DangerDoom album (with MF Doom), The Mouse and the Mask and the genius who gave us the unnofficial release, The Grey Album. With the work he's put out, he's sure to be a rap/hip-hop super producer in the not to distant future.

The big radio play tune, Crazy, is the one of the best head boppin' tunes, will rule the summer radio, and shows the keen ability of music to cross genre gaps. The Boogie Man is a haunting tune who's lyrics that remind me so very much of the Sesame Street book "The Monster at the End of this Book," but not silly. Feng Shui has a certain 90s early hip-hop/rap sound to it that goes down smooth and just does such a great job of unconciously making you move to the music.

In the end: Look. I already said. This will own the summer radio waves and prove Dangemouse to be a key player in rap/hip-hop/R&B circles. The albums got solid beats, some amazing lyrics, and a genius organization. Listen to Crazy and Feng Shui. You'll be all over this album in no time.

Technorati Tagged: Gnarls Barkley | Dangermouse | Cee Lo | Hip-Hop