As the “pop” world reaches out its arms to Cee Lo Green and Danger Mouse, they instinctively pull back. If St. Elsewhere was their Frankenstein’s monster, then The Odd Couple is it’s terrifying killing spree.

St. Elsewhere was an album of twisted paranoia and doom disguised in the Trojan horse of an experimental party album. The Odd Couple, on the other hand, is dark, gloomy and intentionally against the grain. Green sums it up best when he professes “It’s probably plain to see/ I got a whole lot of pain in me” on the the somber closing track “A Little Better.”

As always, Danger’s production is layered, dense, outside the box and downright brilliant. Meanwhile, Green’s infectious falsetto is stellar (and just a little bit scary). “Would Be Killer” and “Neighbors” are perfect examples of the eerie soundscapes that have made these guys the most talked about genre busters since Run DMC.

Unfortunately, Gnarls Barkley’s greatest attribute is also their biggest detriment. That anti-pop, this-ain’t-for-everyone, free flying style is a double edged sword. Sometimes triumphant and sometimes confusing, The Odd Couple will likely go down in history as a classic for die hard fans and as a memorable experiment to everyone else.

In case you have been living under a rock for the last 2 years, Day26 is the latest product of Sean “Diddy” Comb’s reality TV phenom, Making The Band. They are an R&B quintet made up of Michael “Big Mike” McCluney, Robert “Bitchassness” Curry, William “Shirtless Willie” Taylor, Qwanell “Dawn’s Boyfriend” Mosley and Brian “The Guy with the Cornrows” Andrews. They are kind of a big deal.

Day26’s debut is the kind of soulful, cool, swagger-filled R&B group effort that hasn’t been successfully pulled off in years (sorry Pretty Ricky). The album manages to be smooth without being too sensitive, sexual without being overly raunchy and high energy without getting too “pop.” The end result is one of the most enjoyable R&B albums of the year. Think Dru Hill, 112, Blackstreet or Next singing on tracks from Danja and Bryan-Micheal Cox. It’s a good look. The real standout tracks are the gospel-tinged “If It Wasn’t For You,” the soulful “Since You’ve Been Gone” and the ultrasexy closing track “Don’t Fight The Feeling.” The latter of which is a mid 90’s style panty dropper that is bound to pop up on more than a few “Love Making Mix” CDRs.

But, all is not well in the world of Day26… The 5 lead singer format is a nice idea (in theory), but it becomes highly obnoxious on more than one occasion. The group needs direction. Bitchassness Robert would be the most logical choice; he has the strongest, most unique voice and manages to steal the show on almost every track. Also, what happened to the days when producers just produced without talking shit all over the ballads? The number of producer voice overs from Diddy, The Runners and (most awkwardly) Bryan-Michael Cox is absurd.

Traditionally, reality TV-produced “artists” bring absolutely nothing to the table. Day26 is a welcomed, and surprising, exception. Believe it or not, their album is actually good, it’s damn good.

GRADE: A

Lets be honest, to the casual listener, “Neo-Soul” artists like Cody ChesneTT, Van Hunt, Raphael Saadiq and Raheem DeVaughn all sound pretty much the same. They release similar sounding albums and tend to get similar responses from fans. With Love Behind the Melody, Raheem DeVaughn strives to elevate his sound without leaving his fans behind. Thankfully, he succeeds.

Much of the production on Love Behind the Melody is stellar. Music giants like Bryan-Michael Cox, Scott Storch and Chucky Thompson lend their talents to an album that manages to improve upon the template of DeVaughn’s impressive debut, The Love Experience. This more streamlined and mainstream quality works (even in spite of itself). On “Customer,” we look past the song’s eerie resemblance to J. Holiday’s monster hit “Bed,” and just trust that great minds must think alike. Besides, Love Behind the Melody is the kind of album that lives in its own vibe. The smooth and sexy mood that emits from the speakers makes it easy to forgive any of the album’s shortcomings.

Love Behind the Melody may not prove to be Raheem DeVaughn’s break into mainstream consciousness, but it will definitely expand his fan base. Raheem DeVaughn is more talented than the bulk of R&B singers out there, it’s only a matter of time before the world knows it.

GRADE: A–

The Queen of Hip Hop Soul is top form. In a time where new, generic, cookie cutter R&B artists are appearing (then quickly disappearing) every other week, it’s refreshing to see urban music’s favorite underdog finally getting the pop props she deserves.

Both vocally and lyrically, Mary J. impresses on Growing Pains. Though not quite as dynamic as 2005’s The Breakthrough, it is equally as genuine and enjoyable. “Hurt Again” and “Fade Away” are stand outs that may cause few involuntary taps of the replay button. While “Grown Woman” and “Till The Morning” will remind you that she still has the swagger that made you fall in love with her in the 90’s. The album ends in grand style with the impressive and appropriate closing track “Come to Me (Peace).”

Since 1999’s Mary, Mary J. Blige has progressively moved closer and closer to the world of pop. Growing Pains is her biggest step yet. Fortunately, it works. She is right at home in her long overdue fame and she maintains enough credibility and style to satisfy even her most hardcore What’s The 411? fanatics. Not much more can be said about the new and improved Mary, other than, its’ a good look.

Alicia Keys deserves to (one day) be mentioned in the same breath as soul icons like Roberta Flack, Minnie Riperton and Aretha Franklin. Not only for having a stellar and unique voice, but also for creating music with the kind of passion that sends chills through every inch of a listener’s body. As I Am is not, however, the album to solidify her place in the record books.

Alicia Key’s vocal choices and simple lyrics have always proved to be some of her greatest strengths, but on As I Am their novelty feels strangely trite and sometimes goofy. On “Superwoman” she awkwardly croons “When I’m breaking down/And I can’t be found/…’Cause no one knows/Me underneath these clothes/But I can fly/We can fly.”

Make no mistake, the strength of stirring ballads like “No One” and “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” do give the album enough soulful swagger to make the disc ultimately appealing. In fact, her new pop edge works very well on the refreshingly retro “Teenage Love Affair.” Unfortunately, the rest of Keys’ more pop-tainted attempts (like “Sure Looks Good to Me”) manage to two-step their way into predictable and clichéd territory.

Most of As I Am will probably be lost and forgotten in the impressive body of work that Ms. Keys will one day have. However, the album is not to be ignored. It’s experimental nature is refreshing, but ultimately only highlights how flawed the project is.