Outkast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

By Matt Knutson

There aren’t too many things that are a sure thing. But Oukast is proving that it delivers better than the mailman.

The new double album “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” features solo albums from Big Boi and Andre 3000.

Outkast is known for its one-of-a-kind music style that encompasses funk, hip-hop, soul and country genres — and these albums are no different. In fact, some tracks have that nostalgic 1950s sound.

-But there is one problem: The reason why Outkast encompasses so many different genres of music is because Boi and Dre are different people with different personalities. When you split them up, two different types of music are displayed.

“Speakerboxxx,” Big Boi’s album, features upbeat lyrics, a funky trumpet and electric guitar sounds that make tracks like “Bowtie” and “The Way You Move” stand out like Calista Flockhart in a buffet line.

Dre’s “The Love Below” is the polar opposite of Boi’s disc. The jazzy beats give the LP a somewhat lounge music feeling.

Most of the tracks have something to do with sex. Tracks and interludes like “Behold a Lady,” “Roses,” “Happy Valentine’s Day” and “Prototype” all mention love and the perfect woman.

These songs, combined with tracks like “Hey Ya,” take the album back — way back — to the ’60s, the days of the xylophone, acoustic guitar and “American Bandstand.”

“Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” is not your run-of-the-mill Outkast album. It’s basically two solo projects co-produced, but it’s by far the most musical work from the Boi and Dre so far.

When you walk down the CD aisle at your local music retailer and see “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,” pick it up.