Having begun his musical career with Goodie Mob back in the 90s and released his first solo album back in 2002, it wasn't until Cee-Lo Green met a man named Brian Burton, better known as Danger Mouse, and put out a single called 'Crazy' under the name Gnarls Barkely, that the Atlanta singer really made an impression on the mainstream populous. Even then, there were still plenty who didn't know his name. That was until this summer, when single 'F**k You' became an overnight success, notching up a whopping two million plays in its first week on YouTube, well before it was altered to become playable on daytime radio.
After a rocky start with a misguided spoken word intro ("Spontaneity is the spice of life, and I've indulged quite a bit, but I'm not above the law and I'm certainly not lawless, but when it comes to ladies, I have a license... To kill"), a funky, modern soul groove kicks in with the disco strings, dance-friendly synths and Thriller-esque bass line of 'Bright Lights Bigger City', and it barely lets up for the next 45 minutes. Green's voice is a force of nature, all nasal and full of gusto, one of those few unique voices that stand up against the soul icons of the past.
While the overexposure of 'F**k You' means that by now it's almost intolerable, the rest of these tracks have none of its low-brow though admittedly amusing gimmickry, even if their lyricism does occasionally feel contrived. If there's one small gripe to be laid at the feet of 'The Ladykiller' (apart from shameless Bond references, that is), it's that few individual songs succeed in distinguishing themselves amidst the constant onslaught of party friendly tunes. It's left to the seedy and sexy 'Bodies' and the slow-moving soul of Selah Sue duet 'Please' to add a little spice and contrast to proceedings. Occasionally veering a little too close to sleazy, 'The Ladykiller' is still an undeniably fun, irresistibly enjoyable record guaranteed to keep you boogying from now 'til next Christmas.
