• Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Mar 18, 2008
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 35
  2. Negative: 1 out of 35
  1. On the whole, The Odd Couple has a much more unified atmosphere, but in quality the album is sporadic and unpredictable.
  2. 60
    The Odd Couple is basically a more refined "St. Elsewhere," without the rap aberrations or goofy covers that made the debut such a wild, bumpy ride. [Apr 2008, p.91]
  3. Strangely, given the unified palette and temperament, the album feels disjointed: one track doesn’t pull you to the next.
  4. On The Odd Couple, Gnarls Barkley gets halfway to the heights of St. Elsewhere and seems content to stay there.
  5. For fans of "St Elsewhere" and general mash-ups of styles, The Odd Couple will contain a few splendid tracks, a few decent offerings, and a few duds.
  6. Q Magazine
    60
    Yet for all the sharp hooks and rhythmic twists, the album sags in the middle. [Apr 2008, p.127]
  7. The Odd Couple from its superior predecessor (just: the writing is a bit weaker, the arrangements sleepier, the production effects a bit thicker) and so its most glaring flaw is that it simply lacks St. Elsewhere‘s invigorated tone, following the same blueprint with cheaper components, producing off-putting retreads whose only appeal lies in their similarity to more effective tracks on Gnarls’s former effort
  8. Needless to say, though, Odd Couple doesn't conjure the same immediate wow-factor as "St. Elsewhere."
  9. A hastily crafted follow-up, a subpar sequel, much more "Rocky V" than "The Godfather: Part II."
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 37
  2. Negative: 1 out of 37
  1. RafalR.
    Apr 18, 2008
    9
    Who's Gonna save my soul now?
  2. TimF.
    Apr 13, 2008
    9
    A focused record that plays better with each listen. This has many growers, and one of their strongest tracks "Who's gonna save my soul."
  3. Dan
    Apr 6, 2008
    9
    Who's gonna save my soul now? The lack of "chart-climbing singles" makes me love this album even more. Anyone expecting some sort of Who's gonna save my soul now? The lack of "chart-climbing singles" makes me love this album even more. Anyone expecting some sort of "crazy" pop miracle out of this album completely misunderstood these guys in the first place. And yet, there will definitely be chart-climbing singles. These guys own their sound, and they make it work. Great album. Full Review »