With two albums out of the way and the summer just about to start, electronic dance trio Major Lazer have set their sights on dominating the summer months with the release of their third record, Peace Is The Mission.

Made up of dance producer Diplo alongside Jillionaire and Walshy Fire, Major Lazer have shone through in world dance music, having been noted for producing innovative EDM which has united some of the globe’s most exciting and celebrated artists.

Their third effort arrived with a sharper focus and an apparent improvement on context and songwriting, but this is drained away by the sheer lack of promise this record achieves. The Wild Belle opener ‘Be Together’ is a promising start incorporating the usual format of a talented singer back dropped on a sea of beats – a concoction that has seen the light of day far too many times in mainstream music. This is not backed up by the second track on the record, ‘Too Original’, which is a repetitive, what seems to be, rap underlined with attempts of horns and electronic drum beats; a song that simply tries so much but actually offers very little to innovation and creativity.

The lead single from the album, ‘Lean On’, is arguably the only track on the record that justifies Diplo’s successes. Featuring DJ Snake and Danish singer/songwriter MØ, the track stands so far apart from the rest of the album and is undoubtedly going to be one of the soundtracks to many people’s summer. It is the high profile of Ellie Goulding that will most likely take the song ‘Powerful’ to radio play, but it comes in second place of the nine.

It is collaborations that seem to play a big part in this album and a big part in the world of Diplo and Co. However, the tracks produced on this record seem to be throwing so much at the sound, when it comes back out of the speakers it feels like an overworked, cluttered butch of tracks. Let’s hope that the release of Major Lazer’s next album (due for release later this year) drives them into a different state of affairs.

Peace Is The Mission is out now via Mad Decent.

Sam Gunn