STILL CRAZY: The offbeat combination of vintage soul vocals and percolating hip-hop production that made Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" the 2006 super crossover hit has been a tough act for the musical world to follow.

Amy Winehouse almost equaled the genre-gapping deed last year with her Stax-Volt homage "Rehab."

This week, the Gnarly duo of singer Cee-Lo Green and his mix-master partner, Danger Mouse (Brian Burton), hope to be struck by lightning again with the stylistical extensions of "The Odd Couple" (Atlantic, B+).

Already, the album has drummed up lots of interest via Internet leaks and premature (maybe) sales on iTunes, forcing Atlantic to put the set out today, two weeks ahead of schedule (and forcing reviewers to scramble to hear it online).

Like its predecessor, "St. Elsewhere," whence came that super hit, "The Odd Couple" juxtaposes soaring melodies and perversely dark, monster-movie-of-the-mind lyrical sentiments.

"Got some bad news this morning/which in turn made my day," Green shares in the moody confessional "Who's Gonna Save My Soul." "It's probably plain to see, I've got a lot of pain in me," he doubles up in "A Little Better."

There are lot of stylistic nods to swinging-'60s and '70-style British "Northern Soul" music. Dig "Surprise," with its tremelo-drenched guitar, or "Run," with its beatnik bongo drums and horror-movie lyrical motif: "Run away children, I've got a beast at bay."

But don't worry, not all is doom, gloom and retro.

"Whatever" turns today's catch-all dismissal to amusing end, as its loner subject puts down his mom and declares, "It could be cool, it could be better, I don't care, whatever."

It's, like, the one I'd want to hear on the radio, but, uh, whatever.

MORE BLASTS FROM THE PAST: One of the biggest of '60s British Invasion belters was Shirley Bassey, best known here for her commanding performance of the movie theme "Goldfinger."

What a surprise and delight to find she's still vocally kicking butt four decades later, though now as the royally endowed Dame Shirley Bassey, don'tcha know, on "Get the Party Started" (Decca, B).

Yeah, she's rocking out on our girl Pink's hit, as well as on vintage show-stoppers like the Broadway razzler-dazzler "Big Spender," Gloria Gaynor's disco-era "I Will Survive," Lionel Richie's "Hello" and the eternal chest-beater, "What Now My Love."