Diplo-Switch collabo Major Lazer weird in good way

The Major Lazer MySpace page lists its style as reggae/Americana/black metal. Yeah, I don’t really think that makes sense either. Good thing Major Lazer is just the entrance of DJs Diplo and Switch into Jamaican dancehall. And their album, “Guns Don’t Kill People … Lazers Do!”, is swell, albeit a little odd. There’s no real genre to Major Lazer, and there’s no “real” story to the name and accompanying eye-popping album art. Listening is an experience that takes you along the path of surf guitars, vibrating phones, the sound of bong hits and even the cries of a baby … auto-tuned.

I guess Major Lazer is supposed to be some Jamaican soldier who lost his arm and replaced it with a machine gun, but that’s just confusing and doesn’t actually explain the album. Explaining the album is hard. It’s busy and at times pornographic. It’s fast and wacky but manages to be lethargic and complex too. Don’t get me wrong; this is not revolutionary or even the best of its kind. It’s a saucy piece of fun to enjoy as such.

The first single and song on the album is the best track by far. The beat of “Hold The Line” is almost the “A Milli”/”Diva” beat that is so darn great, but it’s not. Luckily it’s darn great enough as it is. Santigold completes the jam with her surprised yelps of “ow!” Even though the song tells you to “vibrate like a Nokia” — which, ick — it’s pretty hard not to get down with this one.

“Cash Flow,” though not traditionally danceable, also is an album highlight for me. Jah Dan does his thing all over it and, though it doesn’t even sound mixed in the same sense as most of the other tracks do (as in, no weird noises), it still has its place with the rest. A big jam in the jammiest sense of the word worth mentioning is “Mary Jane.” It’s gotta be tuba I’m hearing, and that’s never a problem. There’s other stuff on there too. It’s not all notable, and a lot of it’s kind of irritating, but it’s certainly interesting and different.

The album serves a very specific purpose; it’s not something you’re going to want to listen to at just any time. Mostly just party time. (Which, I guess, CAN be any time.) When I listen to it at work, it pumps me up, but the repetitive lyrics and odd noises annoy everyone. Listen to “Pon De Floor,” one of the sweetest tracks, and you’ll understand what I mean.

Listen to the whole album here.