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St. Elsewhere
by Gnarls Barkley
This is the highly-anticipated debut release for the pairing of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo.
| LABEL: |
Downtown |
| RELEASE DATE: |
09 May 2006 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Rap, R&B, Indie |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
100
Entertainment Weekly
St. Elsewhere is a bumpy but mesmerizing ride.
100
Los Angeles Times
Every song on this exhilarating debut... is almost as good as its first hit, "Crazy." That's saying a lot. [6 May 2006]
100
E! Online
Weird, wonderful and, yes, super.
100
Slant Magazine
As we approach the halfway point of 2006, it's unlikely that a more vivid or arresting debut will drop this year, marking St. Elsewhere as not only an audacious accomplishment, but one of the year's best.
90
Dot Music
Both artists have stepped outside their regular roles to make what feels like a genuinely instinctive, love-fuelled record that zings with an enthusiasm for all spectrums of music.
86
Filter
More soulful and funky than any of Dangermouse's previous efforts. [#20, p.101]
84
cokemachineglow
It is often silly, occasionally ridiculous, always catchy as hell, and as loose as an album with this kind of production credit can be. What more could we ask from a pop record?
83
The Onion (A.V. Club)
St. Elsewhere deftly balances solid songcraft with free-floating weirdness for a project that's suavely international but unmistakably American.
83
Stylus Magazine
With “Crazy,” the duo hits its apex without really shrouding the rest of the album.
80
The Guardian
Theoretically the album should sound like a mess - and occasionally it does, not least on the twitchy and irritating Transformer. But for the most part, the mass of disparate sounds are perfectly bound together by some astonishing songwriting and Green's haunting, sorrowful voice.
80
musicOMH.com
Although this isn't a flawless album, it will undoubtedly be a huge hit and keep many people company through the long hot summer months ahead.
80
New Musical Express
You certainly won't hear much else at the moment as inventive as this.
80
PopMatters
The collaboration between sound technician Danger Mouse and astral soul brother #1 Cee-Lo Green is scatterbrained and compulsive, a collective of voices in varying degrees of twitchy, restless (in)sanity competing for one mind.
80
Paste Magazine
It’s all over the place in the best possible way.
80
The New York Times
A manic, twisted soul album that's part nostalgia and part dementia.
80
All Music Guide
With the help of Danger Mouse's platinum ear and intricate vocal productions, Green is revealed as a top-notch post-millennial soul singer.
80
Lost At Sea
Throughout, Cee-Lo’s crazed Muddy Waters-meets-Al Jarreau tenor drools soul and exudes liquid-nitrogen cool.
80
Q Magazine
St Elsewhere rivals Gorillaz' Demon Days for sheer inventiveness. [Jun 2006, p.109]
80
Drawer B
Each listen reveals depth and texture that allow the hooks plenty of room to breathe.
80
Spin
High-energy electro eccentricity. [Jun 2006, p.80]
80
Urb
Elsewhere is exactly what you thought it'd be: a daring piece of work from two artists not afraid to take chances that pay off. [May 2006, p.81]
80
Vibe
It sounds like Cee-Lo has found his sonic better half in Danger Mouse. [Jun 2006, p.162]
80
Mojo
A loose lyrical thread (mental instability), an unrestrained creativity and an enviable sense of musical freedom are the only things holding it together. [Jun 2006, p.104]
77
Pitchfork
As scattershot and weirdly limp as parts of this are-- two guys just knocking things together, seeing what happens-- well, it feels better to hear someone trying.
70
Drowned In Sound
It's no contender for end-of-year honours, but so far as pop goes in 2006, this may well be the pinnacle.
70
Playlouder
It's hard not to feel that the mystique is so damaged by the poor execution of the opening, that the rest of 'St. Elsewhere', however good, struggles to catch up.
70
Rolling Stone
There's a creeping dementia to all of St. Elsewhere. [4 May 2006, p.56]
70
Under The Radar
Even if their craziness is a bit affected, try as they might, they can’t disguise a fine pop record underneath that freaky makeup. [#14]
70
Tiny Mix Tapes
St. Elsewhere's triumphs are besmirched somewhat by its flubs.
70
Dusted Magazine
It may fall short a few instances, but it’s a record with genuine ingenuity.
70
Delusions of Adequacy
As is to be expected in any collaboration of this type, there are a lot of good ideas to be found, and it’s worth hearing, even with a few missteps.
65
RapReviews.com
A strange and unique album that is more rock and pop than anything most rap fans are used to.
60
Billboard
Some of the record gets bogged down in its own deliberate weirdness.
60
Prefix Magazine
A disappointing missed opportunity.
60
Blender
It's always peculiar, and often a mess; it's also occasionally brilliant. [Jun 2006, p.142]
50
Uncut
DM's production is unfocused but showy and the album's postmodern lurches suggest a frustrating attention defecit disorder. [Jun 2006, p.90]
50
NOW Magazine
It's a disappointing underachievement.
The average user rating for this album is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 71 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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