Gnarls Barkley Releases Backwards Album

Putting themselves on the radar as one of the world’s most irksome bands, Gnarls Barkley has continued the recent trend of bands releasing free albums over the Web – sort of. Their latest release is a free download, 38 minutes and 45 seconds of music, all in one track, and all backwards.

That’s right. The album, titled elpuoC ddO ehT and available via the band’s special Web site, is the same as their March release The Odd Couple, but plays in reverse, from end to beginning, NME reported Thursday. How annoying. Cee-Lo Green and Danger Mouse deserve a backhand across the face.

The strange release at least speaks to the band’s follow-through, as the concept was probably dreamed up during some stoned moment over a foosball table. The capacity to turn an oddball idea into a real event also shows the complete sincerity and gravity with which this band screws around. It will probably work, too, at least in the way penny-smashing machines work: You get a funny, almost worthless but incredibly cheap novelty that you will find cool for at least 30 minutes. Unfortunately, this being the technology age, as soon as the novelty wears off, every 14-year-old will just pop the track into an MP3 editor, re-reverse it and effectively wipe out conversions to album sales. Bummer.

Cred points to the duo, though, for being inventive and original. I can imagine the amusement park they would open if they put their minds to it – and hopefully it would be at least within a two-dollar cab ride of a hospital.