Review Summary: The Mouse And The Mask is a little hit-and-miss, but generally a very good effort on both sides of DangerDoom.
I have a strong feeling that the collaboration that is Danger Doom (MF Doom and Danger Mouse) is somewhat of a Marmite affair. To some it may be the overdue merging of two different genres- Danger Mouse's alternative-pop scene and MF Doom's underground rap. To others it may be the shame-ridden ghost of Madvillainy. This is certainly no Madvillainy granted, yet The Mouse And The Mask is a very good achievement on behalf of both members of DangerDoom.
1) El Chupa Nibre
The album makes a strong start, with El Chupa Nibre, a haunting tune with trickling xylophones and a repetitive but consistent bass and drum beat, that instantly makes us realise that Adult Swim characters will have a large role in this album (AQTF's Master Shake leaves DangerDoom a phone message at the end of the song, something that happens several times throughout the album). As usual, Doom's lazy flow is coherent and confident, and Danger's bleeps on his swear words seem to work somehow. 4/5
2) Sofa King
This track is definitely one of the more accessible tracks of the album. Primarily composed of a neat group of strings and flutes and a stumbling bass line, its simple and catchy tune leaves most of the song's content in the capable hands of Doom, who issues out some dazzling rhymes and memorable references that will cause you to rewind and listen to them just one more time. While rather weak by the album's standards, it is still a decent achievement (mostly on Doom's part). 3.5/5
3) The Mask
One of the album's stronger tracks, The Mask sees Danger getting almost angry and mixing some impressive trumpet loops with a rapid, pounding drum beat. The appearance of Ghostface Killah on this song really makes it so invigorating- with the profound contrast of Doom's calm but committed flow and Ghostface's high-pitched, in-your-face attitude creating an interesting combination. Yet the song is slightly worn down by the 40-second long Adult Swim skit at the end- we end up having to wait a bit before the real music can kick in again. 4.5/5
4) Perfect Hair
This is one of the tracks on the album that is easy to ignore, and not without good reason. While it contains some nice flute loops and an excited beat, Doom's lyrical skills do not quite gel with the song's happy mood, and the tune itself is hollow and repetitive- all of which is not improved by Shake's second voice mail to Danger. Its tune may bring a new radiance to the preceding songs' relatively dark melodies, but Perfect Hair is not up to either artists' standards. 3/5
5) Benzie Box
For the first time we catch a glimpse of Danger Mouse's other partner- Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley anyone?) who delivers an uncontroversial, simple singing chorus at the start of the song and elsewhere. Like Sofa King, this track is mostly dedicated to Doom, with Danger's excellent production only backing with a pop drum beat (mm hmm it's that simple) and a catchy synth and bass. Doom's lyrical finesse really shines through here, and we start to be convinced that DangerDoom is becoming more and more of an item than merely Danger and Doom. 4.5/5
6) Old School Rules
Doom now steps from the limelight to allow the more accessible MC to shine- Talib Kweli. This is song that demonstrates Danger's unique ability to cater for featuring artists, with descending choruses of brass and a subtle guitar lick that emphasises the fun-loving nature of this song's content. Kweli's energetic rap is very well-delivered, but Doom effortlessly steals the show afterwards with his flawless lyrical skill and smooth, contrasting low-pitched voice- almost like The Mask but in reverse. A strong track that will surely attract Black Star fans. 4/5
7) A.T.H.F. (Aqua Teen Hunger Force)
We come to this point and we realise that there hasn't been much Adult Swim presence in the last two tracks- and so we are given a three-minute rundown of the characters in Aqua Teen Hunger Force by Doom in this one. While I wouldn't normally think so, this is definitely one of the best tracks on the album and one of my personal favourites. Danger's superb hi-hats and looping bass is excellently pulled off and Doom's serious attitude about such a laughable subject is, in itself, funny, although we end up blown away by Doom's knack to keep our attention and his intriguing lip-smacking noises. For once Master Shake's third phone call seems in place, and we are left moving our heads to the rocking beat of the song. 5/5
8) Basket Case
In this track we are introduced to lawyer Harvey Birdman, (yup, you guessed it) another Adult Swim character. The song is based on a court case, perhaps with Doom acting as the defendant (although he delivers a speech as judge at the end). Yet this doesn't matter, as the song is very well constructed with eerie xylophone melodies and sweeping sirens. Doom does an excellent job delivering his verses and he seems to become one of the characters. A very strong track indeed. 4.5/5
9) No Names (Black Debbie)
Like Perfect Hair, this track is one we could do without. It consists of little more than mere chatter about this 'Debbie' and a thumping bass line and easy rhythm, with Doom delivering verses that are below his usual standard. Along with this the melody is simply boring and we are left slowly plodding along with DangerDoom as we await the next track. 2/5
10) Crosshairs
Along with The Mask and El Chupa Nibre, Crosshairs really demonstrates Danger's uncanny ability to blend simple tunes to create well-produced and complex melodies. This track's spidery bass and jittering guitar, as well as the poetic but haunting strings create an excellent song that is a pleasure to listen to. Doom again amazes us with his fitting rhymes and subtle but penetrating flow. But still, Danger doesn't want to let go of the Adult Swim skits, with one happening at the end of this piece. 4.5/5
11) Mincemeat
Mincemeat is a nice break from the album's extremely tuneful tone, offering us a throbbing drum hook and a nice loop of some far Eastern pan flutes, demonstrating that Danger is also capable of not over-complicating things (much like Crosshairs). Doom's voice really seems to 'dissolve' in this track- as opposed to Perfect Hair, his flow really does fit in with the haunting theme of this tune. 4.5/5
12) Vats Of Urine
While it could be just seen as another chance to cram in more ATHF characters into this album (with the Moononites naturally boasting about digital technology), this track does work. It is not inherently as accessible as the other tracks granted, and feels more like an extended skit than an actual song, but that is no reason to discard it. MF does a nice job flowing about some weird chemicals and strange actions...something that we may not understand, but it certainly works with the nature of this quirky song. 3.5/5
13) Space Ho's
Just as we begin to lose attention by the slightly exhausting number of tracks on this album, the magnificent Spaces Ho's turns up out of the blue. This is, along with ATHF, undoubtedly the best track on the album. Danger does a brilliant job presenting us with an array of high whistles, a catchy bass riff and some more xylophones. Doom meanwhile raps about the TV show Space Ghost Coast To Coast, and we are given an insight to his humour and what the MC thinks about (not quite what you might expect). A brilliant track, if not the best, on this album. 5/5
14) Bada-Bing
Finally, we draw to a close. Bada-Bing is the longest track on the album (clocking in at 4 and a half minutes in all) and a decent effort from DangerDoom. The first tune is a nice way to conclude the album, with Danger demonstrating some rapid beats and loops, and Doom delivering some nice rhymes and seeming to never end, but not in a bad way. But, Danger felt the temptation to deliver the last phone call from Shake, which will either bring closure to the ongoing story or just infuriate you with his nasally voice. Also he adds a rap from ATHF character Meatwad after this, which is the opening to Beef Rapp on MF Doom's album Mm...Food. This addition is unnecessary however and you would be wise to end the album before this appears. 3.5/5
Overall, The Mouse And The Mask is an very respectable achievement, particularly considering that MF Doom and Danger Mouse seem to operate in different fields- underground NPC rap for Doom and alternative-pop for Danger. The album is fairly hit-and-miss however, and the album would feel like less of a slog if a few songs were simply taken out. Doom fans listening to this should know that DangerDoom is no Madvillainy (although Madlib did do a superb remix of Space Ho's- look out for that). The presence of Adult Swim characters does weigh the album down a bit, and the album ends up being only fully enjoyable if you are familiar with the Adult Swim characters. Perhaps we should be circumspect of their next work- although that is no reason to put them off altogether.
