Major Lazer brings the heat on "Free the Universe"

Major Lazer was never meant to be particularly serious.

But, if anything, the group’s cheekiness makes them that much better.

“Free the Universe,” their much-anticipated sophomore album, finds producer Diplo (one half of the original Lazer) producing without the help of former partner Switch, who left the group in late 2011. Switch was replaced by DJs/Producers Walshy Fire and Jillionaire. Sadly for Switch, the sound doesn’t suffer in his absence.

The genius of Lazer, and what annoys some dancehall purists, is how accessible the group makes dancehall to the uninitiated, and how casually they mix it with other genres. Lazer makes dancehall as seen through the eyes of someone on some serious club drugs. It’s a trippy, bumpy, poppy, hip-hoppy mixture of sounds, but it works. Lazer is doing something catchy and incredibly unique. 

And, judging by the stacked lineup of both dancehall and indie artists featured on the album, it seems people are frothing at the mouth to be associated with them.

The album can be roughly divided into two categories: pop-sounding songs and dancehall-sounding songs, with a few outliers.

On the pop side of things, Santigold and Vybz Kartel shine on the album’s thumping opening track, “You’re No Good.” The song sounds like a mix of No Doubt circa 2001’s “Rock Steady” and M.I.A. circa 2007’s “Kala” in the best possible way.

“Keep Cool (Life is What)” features Wynter Gordon and (surprise!) Shaggy on the album’s most top-40 friendly track. Gordon does an admirable job, although I can’t help but imagine Rihanna in her place, singing over the dub-pop production.

You’ll probably hear the trap-inspired “Bubble Butt,” featuring Tyga, Mystic and (bafflingly) Bruno Mars, banging in your respective clubs this summer. Loudly chanting “Bubble butt / bubble bubble bubble butt!” along with the song is too entertaining for this song not to get big (that chorus is stuck in my head as I write this).

On the dancehall side of things (arguably Lazer’s strongest style), Elephant Man makes an excellent appearance alongside a seductive-sounding Opal on the frenetic “Wind Up.” The song is lighthearted Lazer at its best; at one point, a teenage girl evenly chants “grab it like a handlebar / beat it like a CPR / rewind it like a VCR / beat it like a space bar.” The voices become instruments — it doesn’t matter much what anyone is saying. Lazer slyly acknowledges this with some of the album’s sillier lyrics.

Lyrics be equally damned on “Watch Out For This” and “Mashup the Dance,” the album’s other notable dancehall tracks. They sound great. 

The album’s “outlier” songs are where the coherent thought comes in.

On “Get Free,” Amber Coffman of the Dirty Projectors croons about social issues over a minimalistic groove, giving the bright, loud album a rare moment of sobriety.

Album closer “Playground,” feat. Bugle and Arama, sounds like dub mixed with old-school Lauryn Hill and a pinch of early Timbaland production, ending things on an undeniably positive note. “How long before we see that love’s the only way / and through the struggles that we juggle things will be okay,” sings Arama.

“Universe” has its misses. “Jah No Partial,” feat. Flux Pavilion, could have been great, but Lazer and Pavilion couldn’t resist the urge to DROP THE BASS BRAH in the middle of the song. Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend is annoyingly twee on “Jessica,” and Wyclef Jean gets cheesy on “Reach for the Stars.”

But, honestly, even the “bad” songs on the album aren’t that bad.

“Free the Universe” is the kind of insane, great album we all need as summer approaches. Clothes are coming off, inhibitions are becoming fuzzy, and by the end of this album, all you’ll want to do is yell along to Bubble Butt and dance like an idiot.

It gives you that feeling of being done with school for year, or even just being done with a hard work week. It’s a musical version of that wonderful sensation of throwing off the weight of your responsibilities and deciding to just go a crazy and be free, if only for a little while.

By Kelly Fritz