"Remember, kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart, kid, and you'll never go wrong." -The Babe, "The Sandlot"
Legends never die, and neither do lazers, apparently. Major Lazer, the dancehall collaborative spearheaded by Diplo and Switch, was not content to rest on its (their?) laurels after last month's genre-bending Lazerproof mixtape. In an effort to placate fans until another proper album, Major Lazer dropped Lazers Never Die today, an EP consisting of two new songs and a few remixes.
"Sound of Siren" is a sparse dancehall grinder. The track features Busy Signal on verses (doing an impersonation of what Tupac would sound like as a toaster) and an autotuned M.I.A. on the hook. The track removes some of the nasty aftertaste you get when listening to MAYA. Their romantic relationship may be history, but Diplo and M.I.A. still bring out the best of each other musically.
The other new track, "Good Enuff," is a reworked dub of "Cash Flow" off Guns Don't Kill People: a piece of smooth reggae with reverb-heavy drums, upstroking guitars and jazzy pianos. Collie Buddz and Lindi Ortega take turns on the mic, with contrasting reggae and folk styles. It's not just good enough - it's the standout offering.
As for the remixes, Burkaka Som Sistema give their patented kuduro treatment to "Bruk Out," cranking up the beat to dance-floor levels. Kicks Like A Mule adds a breakbeat to "Can't Stop Now," but unfortunately, the effort falls short. Luckily, the EP closes strong with Thom Yorke's mellow take on "Jump Up," with pulsing, gurgling synths and drum machines slowing down the feel of the track.
It may be short and sweet, but Lazers Never Die is another piece of the Major Lazer legend.
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