It’s been a while. Eighteen years, give or take a few months. With the release today of Atlanta (via 10k/Atlantic Records), Gnarls Barkley makes a long-overdue, but brief, return.
The multi-Grammy Award-winning duo of CeeLo Green, the soulful vocalist, and Danger Mouse, the top-shelf producer, unleashes Atlanta, their third studio album and the followup to 2008’s The Odd Couple.
Produced by Danger Mouse and co-written with CeeLo, Atlanta marks a new beginning, and an end. It’s said to be Gnarls Barkley’s final album.
Atlanta features the previously-released single “Pictures,” one of 13 album tracks. It’s a collection that’s near-impossible to pigeonhole, a feast of gospel mashed with smart-as-a-whip R&B production, with hints of pop, hip-hop and timeless vibes.
Gnarls Barkley had a big time debut with 2006’s St. Elsewhere, which housed the era-defining smash “Crazy,” a tune that went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and logged nine weeks atop the official U.K. Singles Chart. St. Elsewhere peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.
Next up, The Odd Couple which peaked at No. 12 on the all-genres U.S. albums tally, and gave the duo another appearance on the national singles chart with “Going On,” which went to No. 88.
According to a release announcing the return, the Atlanta natives had always intended to record a third album, but “life and other creative pursuits intervened,” before they reconnected last year and set aside some time to record this final chapter in their story.
The long break between albums wasn’t wasted. Green released four solo albums, including the 2010 title The Lady Killer which featured the hit single “Forget You” (also known by the uncensored version “F*** You), and two LPs with his hip-hop crew Goodie Mob and appeared as a judge on The Voice.
At the same time, Danger Mouse (born Brian Joseph Burton) worked on albums by Beck, Sparklehorse, U2, the Black Keys, Norah Jones, Portugal. The Man, A$AP Rocky and many others while releasing three albums as Broken Bells with the Shins’ James Mercer.
“Life is a movie. Thoughts are theater, emotions are entertainment, and songs are cinema,” remarks Green on the latest, and last, Gnarls Barkley album. “Gnarls is the narrator… a noun even a person, place, and thing with main character energy to match. Welcome to Atlanta. Smile for the pictures.”
Stream Atlanta below.