REVIEW: Major Lazer – ‘Peace Is The Mission’

Unlike a laser, Diplo’s Major Lazer has never had a one track mind and judging by his third album, I’m guessing he never will. Constantly influenced by the collaborators du jour, Peace Is The Mission is EDM that’s overdosed on pop – not a bad thing in the least, seeing that Diplo has always been the kinda guy that blurred lines rather than stick to one genre. That said, the nine tracks that play over half an hour finally let Diplo and co. find their feet as they cash in on pop laced EDM.

Brother and sister duo, Wild Belle from Chicago opens the album with Be Together. Elliot Bergman, the multi-instrumentalist does his thing in the background, but it’s his silky voiced sister Natalie doing the work making for a well-thought out starter. The genre-bending duo brings reggae in a controlled fashion to the track making for one helluva track on repeat. For the second track, Diplo and co. enlist Swedish singer and rapper, Ellinor Olovsdotter and Jamaican vocalist Jovi Rockwell. Better known as Elliphant, the Swedish vocalist and Rockwell work well on Too Original. There is an Azealia Banks-y vibe from the track, but reggae seems to emerge from being just an influence to being a little more apparent on the second track. Like the well known sequence in a cheesy movie franchise, reggae is full blown in reggae revivalist Chronixx’s Blaze Up The Fire. The interludes may be disconnected but in a weird way, they work. If you’re looking for a club-banging reggae record to add to your playlist look no further than Blaze Up The Fire.

For all her efforts, I’m grateful to Iggy Azalea for re-introducing Karen Marie Ørsted to the world. Better known as MØ, the Danish electropop babe, despite her shaky live performances on American television, manages to be the outstanding force that drives the international hit Lean On. Her silken voice has the kinda charm I’ve heard only in singers from her neck of the woods. There is a certain mystic quality to it, hard to put your finger on, but interesting enough to keep coming back to it. Ellie Goulding brings the pop back to the album with Powerful, but it is Taruss Riley who brings the soul on and the unlikely pairing makes for one powerful collaboration – good enough to give the track a well-deserved chance of sitting on the top of the charts with Ellie’s star power backing it. Major Lazer’s skill in synthesizing the unlikely voices together is quite commendable. It’s no easy job letting a rather unknown Riley anchor the song in the direction it takes, but I’m rather glad they let him do it.

DJ Jillionaire, Walshy Fire, and Boaz van de Beatz hook up with Nyla who brings a mix of Jamaica and Miami with her sun kissed, beachy Light It Up. There’s reggae again, but that switches up to a more Bollywood-esque track with Roll The Bass. Crafted along the veins of Lean On Me, the Indian influence is not hard to miss. I’m liking this new East meets West vibe, especially since it’s the unison of two ethnically strong musical nations.

A Diplo album without a hip-hop flavored track is like pasta without the sauce. Here’s where Major Lazer puts Night Riders feat. Travi$ Scott, 2 Chainz, Pusha T, & Mad Cobra giving the reggae influence a Heimlich. Rappers like Pusha T and 2 Chainz play on the same field as Mad Cobra, but unlike an old fashioned duel this is the best I’ve heard in hip-hop from 2 Chainz in a long time.

Taunts about Diplo’s small dick did not hinder him from transforming Lorde and Ariana Grande’s contribution to The Hunger Games’ OST. All My Love benefits from Machel Montano’s Jamaican addition to the remix, only elevating the original to a more radio friendly record.

Love him or hate him, Diplo and co, have struck gold the third time. After earnest attempts at merging genres that met with moderate success, Major Lazer has finally made an album that actually deserves to sit on your hard-drive. For pop music fans this is a treat. The reliance on pop and reggae is unmistakable, but that’s probably why some of the tracks off the record are sitting snugly on the charts.