By Streeter:
Major’s Lazer’s first full length album since the 2009 release of “Guns Don’t Kill People- Lazers Do” has brought some seriously rowdy and diverse sound to your speakers. The fictional Jamaican jarhead made famous by the current production crew of Diplo, Jillionaire, and Walshy Fire, opens the album with vocals from regular Diplo contributor Santigold in “You’re No Good.” The album opener is a slower more tribal sound than the typical dancehall tones heard on the rest of the album, but definitely showcases the diversity and complexity of this album’s sound. “Get Free” featuring Amber from the Dirty Projectorsis another song that slows things down a bit, with steely guitar sounds and a reggae rhythm, this track is much more laidback than the rest of the track list.
This album also features the previously released “Jah No Partial” collaboration between Major Lazer and Joshua Steele, more commonly known as Flux Pavilion. This track’s deep reggae roots give way to the hammering bass characteristic of Flux. Also included on this release are two remixes of this song including one from Skream and one from Heroes x Villains.
“Watch Out For This” is a bouncing dancehall jam that should be played at loud volume, marching out of your speakers with a unique fusion between moombahton and reggae this is a track to be sure to ‘watch out for’.
As if this album wasn’t already packed with big name collaborators, “Keep Cool” features the vocals of both Shaggy and Wynter Gordon. Unfortunately despite the big names, this track seemed confused in the sound that it tried to capture. The uplifting vocal hook from Wynter Gordon gets muddled down with too many samples that simply aren’t cohesive.
Laidback Luke brings his characteristic style to the next track on the album “Sweat” featuring the vocals of Ms. Dynamite. In keeping with the title of this dancehall jam, the hook brings the heat for anyone who feels like twerkin’ on the dance floor. And for those that feel like twerkin’ the night away “Bubble Butt” is a choppy dancehall track that features both Bruno Mars and Tyga.
Overall this second full length album, released on Secretly Canadian records, gets mixed reviews. While the diversity of this album is something to be admired, the eclectic sounds can sometimes be detrimental to a particular flow. With that said, this album masterfully meshes sounds characteristic of Jamaica/ West Africa with modern bass crushing beats. As Diplo spearhead’s the push to bring Jamaican dancehall back to the mainstream, there are certainly a few singles on this album that have the potential to blow up!
Buy the album on Major Lazer's site, and sound off in the comments on how you feel about Free The Universe!
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