Cee Lo Green, formerly of Gnarls Barkley who found fame with 'Crazy', has joined many artists in the recent resurgence of a bit of a funk and swing, along with the likes of Paloma Faith and, perhaps to a lesser extent right now, Amy Winehouse. Obviously each of these artists have their own distinct style, but they do belong broadly to the same genre. Green brings a swagger and a real sexual energy (can't believe I'm writing that - cringe) to The Lady Killer. He mixes tracks which would fit in with the back catalogues of many Motown artists, but gives them a modern twist, while unleashing some snappy riffs and bass lines.
The intro track, The Lady Killer, finds Green more or less chatting us up. 'Well hello there. My name is...not important. I'm often asked what do I do for a living and I answer 'I do what I want'. We then get an instrumental intro which feels like it should be leading up to a comic book style film. Bright Lights, Bigger City finds Cee Lo Green indulging the modern side of his sound, with a heavy electronic riff dominating the chorus, and the bass being allowed to give the verse its swaggering groove.
The third track on the album, Forget You (a different version, Fuck You is included as a bonus track) is the one which catapulted Green back into the charts and into the minds of the public - and it's easy to see why. This track is a cracker, and something we've not heard for a long time. Wildflower then sees Green acclaiming the 'picture perfect' and 'poetry in motion' that is his 'wonderful wildflower.' This upbeat track, delightfully played between the intertwined beat and brass encourages the wildflower to show her colours off to everyone. Indeed, why not.
Bodies is a different experience. It lets Green show off his voice while accompanied most notably by a military style drum beat. Green here laughs in the face of those who say that chivalry is dead, by contesting this belief with the fact that he has a lady in his own bed. It will therefore come of no surprise what the 'bodies' in the title are up to - the sighs and moans which may be heard faintly are a little uncomfortable to listen to when your Grandma's round, but in a purely artistic sense, it does add to the overall image Green is painting. It is maybe a little unnecessary though...
Please, which features Selah Sue, is a slower paced duet, which has a perfectly pleasant funk. It doesn't necessarily tread any new ground in the topic it covers, but the track does harbour a swagger and is an undeniably romantic song - which wouldn't be out of place in a film soundtrack where the subject of a scene involved some 'special hugs'.
Satisfied is an absolutely fantastic track, one which will surely form one of my top 10 for 2011. It is fast, has funk, swagger and is just brilliant. The backing singers take the lead for the chorus admirably - Green loudly exclaims his desire to satisfy his lover, and, despite this rather obvious and explicit declaration which many men would shirk away from (I can just see a Hugh Grant type character trying to say it - 'I w-w-w-w-w-what I'm trying to say is...I w-w-w-want to satisfy you.' in an incredibly awkward way.). It is Green's swagger and delivery and his soulful voice which makes it work so incredibly and overcomes any Hugh Grant based concerns.
I Want You is also a phenomenal song - for me, lyrically, the strongest on the album. I want you/to run away with me and experience something new/anything you've already done just won't do.' speaks of a love which has perhaps lasted for a while and is in need of a new spark to keep it going. Green speaks of his gratitude for his lover - 'I'll even quit my job/loving you, I'll make it my job/ Thank you lord.' If you're on a date, this is the song to have in the car. It's got the right energy and funk to it to set the scene.
Cry Baby doesn't quite live up to the previous two songs, but is, nonetheless great in its own right, the brass leading us through the song, which is has a slightly more laid back feel than the passionate 'I Want You', but still engaging our attention. Fool for You continues where Cry Baby left off, but with a wholesome awesome soulful groove which might even tease a swivel of the hips and a crafty move even from those of us with two left feet and a gammy knee. This tale takes the Ronseal approach - does exactly what it says on the tin - in telling the tale of how Green is a fool for you. A cracking track.
It's OK runs in a similar vein to Satisfied and Forget You - at least it feels that these three songs were written together. It combines the same funk, kick and turn which we come to expect from Cee Lo such is the quality of these faster paced numbers. I have even heard this one in a nightclub. And it worked. This demonstrates the diversity and universal appeal which this album possesses in abundance.
The last song of the album, bar for the outro, Old Fashioned, sees the album fade out, not with a bang, but with a suave assertion of class. This song reminds me of many a past master - the Marvin Gayes of the music world, such is the clarity of Green's delivery and the passion he evokes in his performance. It's superb.
And so, this album ends with a revisit of The Lady Killer, this time as an outro. It still makes me think I'm about to sit through an hour and a half of Batman or some other worthy criminal hunting superhero. In fact, this intro/outro might be the only real flaw I can find in the album as a whole - I just don't think it fits for some reason. If you take the intro and outro out, however, we are left with an outstanding album. A few years ago I would never have considered listening to such an album (the 'indie kid' tag may apply), but Cee Lo Green delivers a passionate and enthralling performance which commands the listener's attention and makes that same listener tap his feet and throw some shapes. Also, I might steal the chat up lines in the first part of the intro...
8.0/10
Buy The Lady Killer at Amazon here: The Lady Killer
Buy The Lady Killer at Amazon mp3 here: The Lady Killer [Explicit]
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