I-Tunes Single of the Week Review: Danger Mouse’s ‘Two Against One’

Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton could mine Manhattan with a plastic spoon and still strike gold. The new single “Two Against One,” which iTunes picked up for the free single of the week, will put you in a park with silverware in your hand and headphones on your ears.

Danger Mouse teamed up with Daniele Luppi to produce a downplayed eerie baroque-esque hit featuring the vocals of former “White Stripes” front man, Jack White, that has received a massive embrace.

Deservedly so.

A hypnotic nylon string acoustic guitar picks its way down a simple minor key to begin. The bass drum counts in and queues the brief and staggered electric guitar upstrokes, which remain hidden behind White’s creaky voice. The bass guitar pairs with the symbols on the pickup and down beat.

Female vocal harmonies preface the chorus to invite the listener deeper into Burton and Luppi’s spell like conjured versions of Homer’s Sirens. The end of the first chorus introduces a ghostly harpsichord that could accompany a spider’s spooky eight-legged shuffle.
Staccato upstrokes from the electric guitar rest during the bridge whereby a modest solo portrays an expertly balanced tone which accents Burton’s trademark bass.

Finally, iTunes managed to spotlight a mature sound.

“Two Against One” is part of the 15-song album, “Rome,” that was inspired by old timey Italian-style, or “spaghetti,” westerns. Its manner is an imitation of the soundtracks. Therefore, it is no surprise that Burton collaborated with Italian film composer Luppi to see the concept bear fruit. White appears two additional times throughout the album, as well as the fancied lounge singer, Norah Jones, who also gets a three song appearance. “Rome” will be released on May 17.

In 2004, Burton burst onto the mainstream with “The Grey Album,” a mix of Jay-Z’s “Black Album” vocals with the Beatles’ “White Album.” He makes up half of “Gnarls Barkley” with Cee-Lo Green and half of indie rock’s “Broken Bells,” which he formed with the “Shins’” James Mercer in 2009 and released an album together last year. His resume continues with album productions of U2, Gorillaz, and Beck.

This year, Burton won a Grammy for Producer of the Year, a category he has been nominated for four previous times.