Major Lazer’s new album “Free the Universe,” released April 16, might already have claim to the best party album of 2013. Even though Major Lazer is now a solo project for DJ/producer Diplo, the music hasn’t suffered. If anything, it’s gotten better.
The new album follows in the footsteps of 2009’s “Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do,” complete with reggae-infused, bass heavy dance tracks and a veritable who’s who of indie rock and hip hop singers to polish off each song.
At first listen, “Free the Universe” sounds like a hectic wall of noise, but for the most part, Major Lazer has managed to turn chaos into something unique and infectious.
“Free the Universe” isn’t a subtle album. “You’re No Good,” featuring Santigold, Vybz Kartel, Danielle Haim and Yasmin, kicks off the album with a driving bass line and a chill vibe. This song is one of the more relaxed songs on the album, but the calm before the storm doesn’t last long.
The album really comes into its own with songs like “Jet Blue Jet,” “Jah No Partial” and “Wind Up.” These songs should be listened to from the center of a sweating, swaying throng of people on the dance floor. “Jah No Partial” features dubstep icon Flux Pavillion, and Flux’s erratic sound is a perfect match for Major Lazer.
This album strayed a little from the reggaeton sound that was essential to every track on “Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do.” This is a good thing, though, because it allowed room for the weirder, more unique tracks on the album to shine.
“Get Free” features Amber from Dirty Projectors. The Tarzan-esque howl at the beginning catches the listener’s attention, and Amber’s voice will keep them interested. Her vocals are layered over themselves on the track, creating a sharp, metallic sound that is a nice contrast to the whimsical beat of the song.
“Jessica” is the other track on the album that really stands out. The song features hipster wunderkind Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, and he brought his usual brand of quirky lyrics with him.
Going in, I wasn’t expecting to hear random lines of German to pop up on “Free the Universe,” but hearing Koenig chant, “Mein Jessican,” and singing in Spanish, German and English on the track somehow doesn’t seem out of place on this album. The finishing touch on the track is the warbling, wavering effect that Diplo used on Koenig’s vocals, which gives the song a lo-fi, washed out sound.
The other songs on the album like “Keep Cool,” featuring Shaggy and Wynter Gordon, and “Bubble Butt,” featuring Bruno Mars, Tyga and Mystic are just as good as the rest, and they fulfill their duty as straightforward club anthems.
“Free the Universe” is worth a listen. With short shorts, suntans and summer right around the corner, this album is set to get a lot of play time. Whether you want to get crazy on the dance floor or kick back at a bonfire, Major Lazer provides something for everyone on this album.
There was no drop off on Major Lazer’s sophomore album, and if this is what we can expect from Major Lazer, I’m sure there are a handful of even more outrageous albums on the way.