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$9.99 CD
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MIA
Kala
(Interscope)
"Bamboo Banga"
"Boyz"
One of the most anticipated releases of the year, M.I.A.'s sophomore effort is well worth the wait, buzz and backlash. All right, let's just say that if Bjork is the Universal Earth Mother, then M.I.A. is her rebellious, confrontational daughter who's roaming the world like it's her backyard. From the opener "Bamboo Banger," M.I.A. rhymes the word Hummer with Angola, Burma, tennis players, and macarena. Her vocal delivery is varied throughout, sometimes growing deeper and moodier. Over the minimal yet throbbing, building mix of bass thumps, live and programmed drums, odd keyboards and tons of weird world culture samples (soundtracks, field recordings, in-studio chatter), she's in a league of her own. It sounds like nothing else, honestly. From there we move on to the much blogged about "Bird Flu," and again we encounter more strange samples, lots of tribal drumming and low end bass -- it's much harder, and even she admits that "my beats are too evil." But eight minutes into the album, what's really a surprise is how sparse it all seems. Even though there are a ton of things going on, everything feels like it has its own place in her sonic world.
While her longtime collaborator and ex-boyfriend Diplo pops up on a song or two, not to mention the much talked about collab with Timbaland (another connection between Kala and Bjork's Volta), it seems that M.I.A.'s temporarily suspended US visa gave her more of a reason to seek out other regional influences, including Jamaica, India, Africa, the Middle East and beyond. Working with a group of imaginative producers like Switch, Blaqstarr and Morganics, and even a group of child rappers from Sydney, Australia, Kala feels more like a global album thanks to the influences in its beats, rhymes and the tribal pulse that is at times reminiscent of Konono No. 1. The textures and overall mixes shift from polished PlayStation sheen and big arrangements to grittier lo-fi techniques, all enhancing the shifting climates and cultures -- just play "Jimmy" next to "Mango Pickle Down River" to really understand this point. It's a melting pot of a lot of things that really has nothing to do with America, yet it's definitely a pop record that is a product of, and a response to, American consumer culture and its all-encompassing presence. [DG] |
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