Outkast has remained a force to be reckoned with for most of its existence. Co-creators and childhood pals André "3000" Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton became two of the most innovative influences in hip-hop during the '90s. Unfortunately, over the past six years, the duo hasn't spent much time working together. Their last album, 2003's double CD, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, was made up of two separate solo discs.

Over the past few years, rumors of an Outkast breakup have run rampant, even though the group denies them fervently. But their new album Idlewild isn't doing much to help the suspicions. We still find Dré and Boi going their separate ways, for the most part, with very little collaboration. And not only did the duo have to live up to the hype surrounding them, but the musicians also had to create a sound reminiscent of the prohibition swing era to go along with their movie set in the fictional 1930s town of Idlewild, Ga. In the past, Outkast has stretched the limits of rap music, but this time their efforts were in vain.

The first single from Idlewild is "Mighty 'O.'" Dré and Boi trade verses with a chorus of the Cab Calloway-inspired "hi de hi de hi de ho." "Morris Brown," a Dré production, with Boi rapping alongside Scar, singer Sleepy Brown and a college marching band, is as good as this record gets. The interesting rhythms and chorus break up any possible monotony that seems to perpetuate this album. But that's all there is when it comes to collaboration on this CD.

The reason Outkast has been so successful in the past is because they were able to create funky beats and combine their rapping and singing talents into one sound. But their weaknesses become more apparent when they separate, as the rest of their latest album is weak in comparison to the aforementioned songs. This makes the 78-minute disc seem extremely long and drawn out.

"Idlewild Blue" is one of the only other decent songs. The harmonica solos reinforce the track, making up for any flaws in Dré's voice. "PJ & Rooster" also has a jivey beat, but it's nothing special and doesn't even compare to "Hey Ya!" or "Ms. Jackson."

Some songs on the album are just plain strange, to say the least. "Chronomentrophobia" is about, what else, a fear of clocks and time. Or what about "Bugg Face," which has a chorus of "Bug face, toe jam?" This is just filler music. But why? The album is 78 minutes long — filler is not necessary! The music featured hardly seems inspired or inspiring.

Dré also sings about how "Life is a Musical." A nice thought, but if he's going to make such a grand statement, he needs the music to back it up. One needs some genre blending, big bands and soaring melodies, none of which appear on this song. It actually just sounds electronic. It seems to be one disappointment after another for Outkast on Idlewild.

A song with potential is "Hollywood Divorce." It could have been really funny, and Outkast should have been the perfect duo to make the track work. They usually have such witty lyrics, and this would've been the perfect opportunity to show off their lyrical skills. But "Divorce" comes off sounding minor and slow, even with the rapping.

One of the better songs on the album is "Call the Law," which features Janelle Monae. She has a great tone to her voice, sounding both sweet and a little rough all at the same time. The singer reveals a great level of depth and soul through her delivering of the song's lyrics, though neither Dré nor Boi put in the same amount of emotion.

But not all of their featured guests are as successful as Sleepy Brown or Janelle Monae. The circus-themed "Greatest Show on Earth" features Macy Gray, who also plays a part in the movie. You know, a song about the circus probably wasn't the best idea to begin with, but when you add Macy's raspy warbling, nothing good can come of it.

Idlewild sounds more like a soundtrack than a movie, though, surprisingly, most of its tracks do not make appearances in the feature film of the same name.

This CD didn't allow the group to fully put their unique sound to use, which probably won't appeal to the masses the way their previous records have. Idlewild just proves that separate they are decent, but together, Outkast is much better.

Grade: 2 out of 5