Whether with Goodie Mob, Dungeon Family, Gnarls Barkley, or his limited solo work, thereâs a good chance that Cee Lo Green the Soul Machine has graced your speakers, and â more likely than not â had you tapping your feet. It takes a special kind of artist to be a substantial contributor to so many different sounds; itâs truly a testament to Cee Loâs always-fluid, but somehow still-recognizable style. Two years removed from Gnarls Barkleyâs The Odd Couple, Cee Lo has decided to go for dolo once again, taking his ever-evolving musical sensibilities along for the ride.
The Lady Killer has an unmistakable gamut of influences. It sounds as though Cee Lo has thoroughly studied every classic James Bond title song, Michael Jacksonâs Thriller, mixed with some early Rock & Roll and some â60s schmaltz. The introductory âThe Lady Killer Themeâ is wonderfully corny, and sets the tone for the album. âBright Lights Bigger Cityâ has a bass lick that evokes memories of âBillie Jean,â with grand Disco synths flooding the track when Cee Lo isnât singing. When the beat is in full effect, itâs extremely rich, but the real treat is when Cee Loâs doing the heavy lifting, singing with little to back him but that bass.
Runaway contender for single of the year, âFuck Youâ is so cheery and smooth that it could be featured in an Old Navy commercial and slip by the FCC. Cee Lo is at his animated his best here, and it would be fascinating to find out how much The Smeezingtons (a writing trio including the ultra-talented Bruno Mars) had to do with the track. It is, for all intents and purposes, flawless â and wonât grate on your nerves upon the 100th listen, unlike âHey Ya!â Salaam Remi provides a chilling backdrop for âBodies,â which displays Cee Lo with some more sinister things on his mind: âCan nonchalant be obvious? Of course / I leaned towards her and whispered, âThe choice is yoursâ / Need I remind you that Iâll have no remorse (I understand) / Hereâs a kiss sweetheart this wonât hurt a bit / I can kill it with kindness or murder it Then Iâll face the time a murderer gets (Or get away with it).â
The trio of âSatisfied,â Â âI Want You,â and âCry Babyâ send Lady Killer into a bit of a lull; none of the tracks is of poor (or even middling) quality. Rather, they just donât distinguish themselves in production or vocals in comparison to the remainder of the album. âFool For Youâ rectifies this, as it contains some of Cee Loâs finest singing on the record. âOld Fashionedâ slows things down just in time for the annual sock hop, and the outro sends the listener out with as much style as it invited him or her in.
That The Lady Killer is an appealing musical cocktail is no surprise. Just as compelling a draw is Cee Loâs story about the search for love. Fragmented, subtle, and occasionally disturbing, it adds a layer to the album that will make it enjoyable to listeners on several different levels. Itâs not a flawless effort, but Cee Loâs latest is a formidable addition to his eclectic catalogue.