On paper, Major Lazer, a collaboration between fidget-house impresario Switch and excavator of worldly sounds Diplo, is a dream come true. In practice, I would say the results are mixed on the group’s debut, Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do, though there are certainly a fair share of moments when the two strike gold. Opener “Hold the Line”, which features tongue-twisting worldplay from Santigold and Lexx, is a bouncy number that loads the quirky sound effects (horse pitter-patters and neighs, ringing cellulars and phone hang-ups to name a few) against staccato guitar work, and the results are excellent, perfectly illustrating the unique production styles of Switch and Diplo. The subsequent Miss Thing cameo “When You Hear the Bassline” keeps the beat going, with the vocal work fierce and the beats fiercer. Being as the album was produced in Jamaica, reggae is also on the menu, and the sun-soaked “Cash Flow” and “Can’t Stop Now” are perfect lazy Sunday jams.
The second half of the album is where things kind of stutter, with “Mary Jane” a dud that jokingly praises marijuana (for the record, the only track to successfully do this is Madvillain’s “America’s Most Blunted”), while “What U Like’s” 808 beats aren’t enough to help Amanda Blank & Einsten’s aimless vocals.
Yet the Nina Sky/Ricky Blaze collab “Keep It Goin’ Louder” ABSOLUTELY KILLS. This is the album’s highlight, and Nina Sky’s harmonies excellently complement Ricky Blaze’s Auto-Tune work (so what if it makes people with no voice sound like Pavarotti?). I’m calling this right now – “Keep It Goin’ Louder” is summer’s official track. You won’t be able to get this out of your head, I promise you.
3.5/5
Download Major Lazer - "Hold the Line" (featuring Santigold and Mr. Lexx)
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Download Major Lazer - "Keep it Goin' Louder" (Featuring Nina Sky and Ricky Blaze)
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Tags: Auto-Tune, digital dancehall, fidget house, LP Reviews, reggae
