After sountracking countless summer cookouts, Lazers Never Die finally gets the vinyl treatment. The EP consists of two new tracks and three remixes of cuts from Guns Don’t Kill People, and it’s a solid dancehall offering supercharged with characteristic Major Lazer energy. “Sound of Siren” almost sounds like a pitched down version of “Pon De Floor,” with massive kick drums and the marching percussion beat fusing wonderfully with Busy Signal’s tireless delivery and M.I.A.’s killer hook. For “Good Enough,” Diplo and Switch reach out to Collie Budz and Lindi Ortega for a rocksteady-style track littered with memorable melodies and vocals. On the remix tip, Kicks Like A Mule delivers a knockout breakbeat/dub version of “Can’t Stop Now,” and Buraka Som Sistema lends its Kuduro touches to “Bruk Out” for a charging, dancefloor-ready number. Thom Yorke also contributes a bouncy, synth-driven remix of “Jump Up,” and he manages to bring together his subdued style with hype, chant-like reggae vocals courtesy of Leftside and Supahype. Recommended.
- music label: Mad Decent / 2010