Major Lazer – Free The Universe 5/10
Secretly Canadian/ Mad Decent
With Diplo having been basically crowned the DJ King for the past few years, it is not unusual that the anticipation and expectations for Free The Universe, the sophomore release by Major Lazer are exceedingly high. The first album was something new, a sort of musical mélange that mixed elements from Carribean dancehalls with Eurocentric club music. Even the mashup mixtape with La Roux, Lazerproof, highlighted that. This album is much more difficult to pin down, much to it’s detriment. Since the release of Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do, other than the very long wait the major difference (pun entirely intended) is that Switch is no longer involved. He has since been replaced by Jillionaire and Black Chiney. They have their merits, but the chemistry between Diplo and Switch is difficult to recreate, and let’s just say very bluntly that it has not been. That is saying a lot considering that the highlight of this album is the production. Although it is very tight, it doesn’t always hit home.
The best tracks on the album aren’t just bangers, though the opener, “You’re No Good” most certainly is. Featuring fitting vocals from the now incarcerated on murder charges Vybz Kartell, Danielle Haim (of the amazing three sister band HAIM) and Santigold get the ablum off to a great start. The other tracks that this humble reviewer enjoyed greatly were not so upbeat, and explored the more classic Carribean influence of dub. “Get Free” features the lovely Amber Coffman and creates a lovely blend of electronic blips n bass with some guitar strumming. Ezra Koening of Vampire Weekend also makes an excellent appearance on “Jessica”, crooning falsetto over a chilled out beat.
The real problem with Free The Universe is that it mostly waddles in mediocrity. It’s not a bad album, it’s just not good enough for what you expected from a Diplo project. Most of the tracks are utterly forgettable, and there a few grave missteps, most notably “Jah No Partial”, which takes advantage of the popularity of dubstep and creates a sonic mess featuring Flux Pavilion The lack of cohesion is what detracts the most from the album, to the point where some track that would be able to be enjoyed on their own get lost in the jumble. This means that even “Keep Cool” featuring the long lost Shaggy doesn’t invoke any feeling of nostalgia whatsoever. In the end however, Free The Universe is party music, and will most likely get the young’uns to get down and break out their dancing shoes.