Major Lazer

Although I was hoping it wouldn't be, I was pretty sure this collaborative effort between Switch and Diplo was going to be mind-blowingly shit, but I am pleased to report it is actually pretty fucking good. The Nina Sky tune, 'Keep it Goin' Louder' is a sickly sweet pop anthem that owes more to Beyonce than Ms Thing and comes close to replicating the form of the Plantlife – Love 4 the World (Why They Gotta Hate?)/Nina Sky – Turnin’ Me On mashup that Diplo used to open his Fabric 24 mix. The standout track (and for me at least, its the looove songs that work best on this album) is the ska-influenced 'Can't Stop Now' featuring Mr Vegas (who remembers 'Heads High'?) and Jovi Rockwell which is cute and snaky, kind of like a more knowing version of Sean[da] Paul's 'I'm Still in Love With You'.

And what about the much fabled appearance of Brooklyn's finest Jahdan Blakkamoore? Well it's not bad, and Jahdan's rough and ready voice certainly lifts the track ('Cash Flow') but Diplo and Switch seem bogged down by the Tuff Gong influence and instead of letting Blakkamoore role with the punches, he sounds constrained by an atmosphere that although reared on, is not relevant to the music he is making today with Shadetek and DJ Rupture. Either way, good to see him there, and his appearance only goes to show how important the Dutty Artz material coming out really is.