first and second impressions, pre-show

yeah i know what the hell do i have to say about a dancehall album? i was trying to think of a proper analogy, and the best i could come up with would be like a literary snob trying to make sense of 8 mile (inside joke for someone who doesn't read this blog).

it would be hard to not compare the major lazer album to mia's kala, since both diplo and switch (who comprise major lazer) had such a big hand in that. or maybe it would be more fair to compare it to santogold's debut, which featured similar contributions that probably turned out much more similar sonically.

there are the songs that just sort of sound like pretty generic dancehall to me, and then there's the outer space productions. for me, the vocals here are fairly interchangeable; the guest list is varied but since i can't tell what the hell they're saying half the time (more of a comic exaggeration pointing out my skin color than actual fact, although it is worth pointing out that diplo and switch and both just as white as i am, and i'm pretty sure neither of them grew up in jamaica).

i can't imagine much of this stuff is common to the genre: there's the surf-guitar riff in lead-off hold the line, the uhhh... nursery rhyme wtf of mary jane, the otherwise boring auto-tuned pop of keep it goin louder that somehow manages to redeem itself with a simple drum beat and the last ten seconds of eurotrance synths. and that's ultimately what sets the record apart. the autotuned baby crying that everyone was talking about surfaces as a minute long skit that touches on messages of peace and respecting maternal figures. i shuddered when i heard lil jon's voice, only to breath a sigh of relief when he left three seconds later.

so there's definitely some highlights that are going to make for a crazy show. pon de floor is the album highlight, and i'll let you know how mental the crowd goes when they drop that shit, but i'm sure someone will post the footage on youtube anyways.

when you hear the bassline feat. ms thing

pon de floor feat. vybz kartel (what the fuck is that sound oh hell who cares)