Major Lazer
Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do
In the video for ‘Hold The Line’, the new single off Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do, Major Lazer appears as a Jamaican mercenary with crazy shades, a levitating board and a lazer arm, destroying zombies, vampires and the like. And if I didn’t know any better, I would imagine this type of zombie-slaying assassin to be the brains behind the operation as opposed to super-producers Diplo and Switch. Major Lazer is an entity in and of itself, separate from both DJs’ typical bodies of work. In fact, you could almost imagine Major Lazer as a Mad Decent artist who is friends with the guys and draws influence from their previous productions.
The album itself could pass as a mixtape of the reggae/dancehall charts, with the exception of Diplo and Switch’s injections of their signatory styles: the nods to b-more, the feature of indie-darlings Santigold, Amanda Blank and Mapei (not to mention a random but incredibly fun collab with Nina Sky of ‘Move Ya Body’ fame)’it’s all there.
If anything, the Major Lazer project further the showcase’s the semi-celebs’ immense musical knowledge and their seemingly limitless talents as producers. It is guaranteed to be quite a surprise to the average radio listener when you tell them the same people who produced the Vybz Cartel banger ‘Pon De Floor’ also created ‘Paper Planes’. Whether or not Diplo and Switch’s normal audience will enjoy this album as much as their usual remixes and production is questionable. The two definitely give their fans credit as music lovers, but the one problem with Lazers, if any, is that it might be too good at fitting in with the Dancehall/Reggae genre. Playing like a who’s who of Caribbean music: Vybz, Ms. Thing, Turbulence, and many more, it almost seems like Diplo and Switch are trying to teach their listeners a lesson. Chapters include songs about the good ‘ol kush (aptly titled “Mary Jane,” with a verse from the hilarious Dr. Evil that you cannot miss), a track you might hear while walking through Kingston (’Can’t Stop Now’), a hustle anthem (’Cash Flow’) and a cut that is reminiscent of an Akon track- but much better (’Keep It Goin Louder’).
The guys do an incredible job of combining both the ‘Diplo’ and ‘Switch’ styles with that of Major Lazer, while still paying respect to a genre they clearly love. If you have an eclectic taste, are a regular reader of the Mad Decent blog, or just enjoy a good ‘dutty whine’, this album is a must-have for summer.
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