What began as a sexy, fun-filled splicing of genres under the identity of a cartoon military general has, by this third instalment, lost most of its charm. The idea behind Major Lazer, the brainchild of US producer Diplo, was to bring American stars to Jamaica, where they would get in a studio with local talent, consume local produce and create a fusion of reggae and electronic styles. The first album, Guns Don’t Kill People … Lazers Do, not only held good on the promise but also displayed a quirky sense of humour and produced stompers such as Hold the Line and Pon de Floor. Sadly, Peace Is the Mission lacks most of this stuff. The recipe is now essentially the same as any EDM album, the genre with which Diplo is closely associated, with guest stars on top and the odd dubby arpeggio underneath. Roll da Bass, Blaze Up the Fire and Too Original are the key tracks – each with buggy basslines that could double as air-raid sirens. This sound is now not only jaded – though still remarkably popular – but its ubiquity serves as a reminder of how sights have lowered since Major Lazer was first conceived.
