Cee Lo Green’s Work as a ‘Lady Killer’ Ranges From Amazing to Mediocre

By TOM DELLAFERRA

Cee Lo Green’s new album, “The Lady Killer,” is worth checking out if the notion of a soul-pop blend piques your interest.

As its title suggests, the songs on the album focus mainly on the various aspects of love and romance gone sour. Green uses the first track to introduces himself, saying that “when it comes to the ladies, I have a license to kill,” before exploding into a pseudo-“James Bond”-inspired theme.

However, though he may be “The Lady Killer,” most of the album’s pieces aren’t about conquest and debauchery as the title could imply, but rather they are about the complex emotions and situations that follow when love is on the line. There are definitely a few tracks on here about being killed by ladies though.

The album’s first single, “F*** You,” easily steals the show, telling the story of a man who is left for a richer lover through an upbeat anthem that you simply won’t be able to resist singing and dancing to on campus walk.

“Bright Lights, Bigger City,” is the quintessential weekender’s song, polished and pop-fueled. I would be very surprised if it doesn’t wind up on several peoples’ playlist for weekend get-togethers.

My other favorites from the album, “Satisfied” and “I Want You,” are smooth and upbeat, coming across as popped-up soul songs.

“Old Fashioned” sounds like a ‘50s-inspired pop ballad, and I mean that in the best way possible. “Fool For You,” “It’s OK” and “No One’s Gonna Love You” are head-bobbing, beat-heavy soul pieces, hitting home with heartbreak while maintaining Green’s overall smooth presentation.

The spy themes present in the album’s “Intro” and “Outro” tracks make a resurgence in the center of the album on the track “Love Gun,” which has the whispers, backup vocals and catchy beat to make it sound like it could have been a “Bond” movie intro.

That said, the album isn’t perfect. I was a huge fan of Green’s collaboration with Danger Mouse, Gnarls Barkley, and after hearing “F*** You” when it was released a few months back, I was certain this album was going to be a smash hit.

But after running through the album a few times, I don’t think this will necessarily be the case. Some songs just aren’t that strong. With Green’s tendency to switch between several genres of music though, there were bound to be a few missed opportunities.

In many songs, Green’s vocals take a backseat to the background music, which not only seems counter to the idea of a solo album but just doesn’t make the tracks better. That’s not to say that the album isn’t strong musically or vocally; the balance between the two varies from track to track, and even when Green isn’t on the frontline, the music is still able to carry the weight.

If you’ve enjoyed Cee Lo’s previous works, you’ll definitely find some things to love about “The Lady Killer.” It’s a pop-and-soul infused record that I’d definitely recommend.

3.5 out of 5 stars