As three of the music industry’s biggest names collide, LABRINTH SIA & DIPLO PRESENT… LSD is a colourful pop pick ‘n’ mix.
When Labrinth, Sia and Diplo united for the first time on ‘Genius’ in 2018, nobody was quite sure what was happening. Labrinth’s personal discography doesn’t stretch much further than 2012’s criminally underrated debut record Electronic Earth, preferring the rogue single release and often lending his voice to add the final charting quality to other artist’s biggest hits (see Tinie Tempah’s ‘Frisky’ and ‘Pass Out’, Sigma’s ‘Higher’ and Noah Cyrus’ ‘Make Me’).
Similarly, her festive 2017 collection aside, Sia had been flying low since 2016’s This Is Acting and whilst fans awaited a comeback, ‘Genius’ clearly wasn’t that eighth studio album’s lead single. As for Diplo, whose name is here, there and everywhere these days, his erratic moves from bigger projects Major Lazer, Jack Ü and Silk City to other frequent single collaborations made his involvement impossible to guess.
However, there was something more to ‘Genius’. The track itself packs a real kick with its string-led opening giving way to Diplo’s fizzing electronica – feeling a lot more like an introduction to something bigger than a one-off attempt at a number 1 (which is what three artists of their calibre would be aiming for). What’s more with a collective name, LSD, and multicoloured cartoon artwork it was clear LSD were up to something…
11 months on from ‘Genius’ and today that final something is released. LABRINTH, SIA & DIPLO PRESENT… LSD is the collective’s 10-track album offering. Flavoursome and full of tricks and turns, it’s a great listen. And despite their stature as artists, this isn’t three artists trying to win critics’ acclaim, the overwhelming feeling is this is just a whole lot of fun – especially as intro track ‘What a Wonderful World of’ kicks proceedings off like a trip down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland.
With over half of the record released in the run-up, a lot of it won’t surprise fans. ‘Thunderclouds’ was LSD’s biggest commercial success to date and that’s unsurprising – it’s one of the album’s most exceptional moments. ‘Audio’ and ‘Genius’, which didn’t need the Lil Wayne remix, also feature although, perhaps victims of their own catchy pop goodness, aren’t quite so fresh on their hundredth listen. ‘No New Friends’, however, is LSD at their most potent and sounds as great as ever.
From what we haven’t heard before, ‘Angel In Your Eyes’ is a track that’ll leave you unsure whether to add it to playlists or not, its nonsensical reverbs ricocheting around your head. ‘Heaven Can Wait’ comes with a grandeur as Sia shines over heavy synth thuds and ‘It’s Time’ is the closest the three come to a ballad, although is a long way from Labrinth’s epic ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’.
There’s no doubting that the collective have put out 10 tracks of enviable pop. If there was ever a moment of doubt over their pedigree as curators, there isn’t now. That said, by no means is Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present… LSD a forward-thinking moment that we’ll look back on in a decade’s time.
It’s pretty unbeatable pop music and will hit the high streaming numbers it deserves. Labrinth, Sia and Diplo have made something just because they can… and there’s credit in that.
Rating – 3/5
Have you heard LSD’s new record? Let us know what you think @CelebMix on Twitter.
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