I think it's far too late to introduce M.I.A to anyone at this point, but just incase you still don't know who she is… "GALANG GALANG GALANG!" The girl has blown up over the last couple months after her debut album Arular released mid March, setting things in motion for the young Sri Lankan-British artist. Maya Arulpragasam's story isn't one that every diasporic South Asian could relate to. Some of us may have heard stories of hardships and troubled times in the original des that forced some of our parents' to leave to other countries where there were better opportunities. But, M.I.A lived such experiences, growing up in Sri Lanka during the time of the Tamil rebellion in which her father played a role. Moving from Sri Lanka to India and back again, until finally being able to escape to London, where she would become the most innovative, and original Asian artist to break through to western mainstream. Flashbacks from a past beyond comprehension to most of us are evident through some of her quick and witty lyrics. Her addictive beats make your body move while your mind stays set on understanding her words. In Toronto alone she's had two shows, both with impressive turnouts. Fans of hip hop and dancehall are feeling her. Fans of Asian fusion and electronic beats are feeling her. And oh yeah… and the album cover is funky as hell, for more of the same check out her site.
The intro track "Ba-Na-Na" puts you in the pace and flava that you'll be getting used to for the rest of the journey. It's stuff like this that would've made me want to return the CD if I hadn't been addicted to Galang before purchase, which in turn allowed me to even appreciate the 30-second intro. But who went "bananas" first? The Un-"Hollaback" Gwen or M.M.M.I.I.AAA? "Get yourself an education!"
The next track quickly became one of my favorites and had me going "Pull up the People" for a long time! I am in love with her voice, it's oddly infectious, and it goes annoyingly high at times into a yelp but is pulled off with such perfection. If this track doesn't make you move your "thang" you've got issues. M.I.A quickly lets the listeners know that she's playful but still a soldier for a cause. She truly has "the bombs to make you blow" and "the beats to make you BANG."
LONDON QUIETEN DOWN I NEED TO MAKE A SOUND! "Bucky Done Gun" has been given a lot of play recently, and it's no surprise really. This is what happens when Rocky meets an electro-funky Tamil guerilla at a club! Truly an anthem, promises to get every body in the place moving. Haven't seen the video to this one, but I can only expect something pretty off the wall good. If her first single didn't catch your attention than this one definitely will, for some reason these tracks seem to make you feel better, uplifting stuff!
"Sunshowers" is the next tune on the album, and yes… yet another big tune. "I bongo with my lingo and beat it like a wing yo, to Congo to Colombo, can't stereotype my thing yo, I salt and pepper my mango, shoot spit out the window!" This song is quite different from the other tracks you've heard, it's a lil more chilled out, but M.I.A is still a rude gyal! Is this her first swear word on this album? The chorus is annoying at first but it grows on you… give it time.
This album hasn't given me a chance to catch my breath yet, and it doesn't seem like it'll let me for another little bit at least. "Fire Fire" is a track you can toss in the middle of a dancehall/hip hop set and it'll fit right in, probably due to her references to dance moves and Missy and Timbo (I've got a minor commentary at the end about that too!) This track is officially dedicated to the brave guerillas like her father that she witnessed in her childhood. "Growin up, brewin up, guerilla getting trained up!" So far, M.I.A is 4 for 4, and at this rate watch this stretch continue.
Alright, the next track is featured on the North American release and not on the UK version; my friend took back her UK release before I could give my opinion on the "Dash the Curry" skit instead of the "Freedom" skit that's on the North America version. And yes, I've done the track listing in this review according the UK release since that's where desitunes4u is based, so it's for your own convenience.
I remember those toy guns when I was younger that played the numerous different gun shot noises, and it's refreshingly amusing to hear her use one in her next skit "Freedom." If there was ever a soundtrack to start a revolution against the one-world order that we seem to be falling under this track and the entire album would be blazing through every sound system in the world. I'm strongly against violence, but who said all revolutions caused blood-shed.
The next track "Amazon" is one of my personal favorites on this album, some real urban rhythms. I'm not sure what she's talking about, but she seems to be Missing In Action (M.I.A) in a jungle, being held hostage, and thinking about the cause and purpose of revolution and how much is really worth it. But, the average listeners will be so entranced by the beat that they won't even notice that. "Hellooooo, this is M.I.A!"
Finally, a track I'm not feeling too much, compared to the rest of the album "Bingo" falls short of being a big tune, but it's still much better than the average track out there these days. It's a little slower than the other tracks on the album and has a half-island/dirty south flava to it if you listen carefully enough. Decent track though, not gonna complain too much.
"Hombre" starts off with some sitar strings in the beginning, I thought we were gonna go for a slower tune, but NOPE! "Hombre" proves to be one of the hardest, baddest tunes on the album. Reminds me of the whole reggaeton thing going on these days, and I think that stuff is great! Again, her voice is so effectively infectious. "Excuse me little Hombre, take my number call me." I guess she's taking a second from all this talk of revolution. The little desi element with the tablas and sitars goes along way if you listen carefully.
The next skit "One for the Head" had me thinking of something that Tijinder would've pulled with Cornershop, don't know if it's your flex, and truly I don't care, it's wicked. But she cuts it off far too quickly and abruptly!
The next tune starts off in similar fashion as the rest of the album, funky in so many different ways. And I think she's speaking Tamil here, not sure, if anyone knows contact me. "$10" is another big tune! "Ya, what can I get for 10 dollar?" If you're smart, this album!
Alright, let me quickly apologize, because I have the North American release I don't have the "U.R.A.Q.T." track, sorry.
What can I say about the last track? I first heard it and hated it, than it grew on me… and than there was a time all I said was "GALANG GALANG GALANG!" Great tune! Probably the best on the album! The song that made it all happen! If you're not feeling this one, you're probably not gonna be into the album much at all. The video is some psyched out stuff, but it's great, and it's so simple what she's doing, but doing her thing she is extremely attractive. You won't even feel this song crawling up on you until you're moving to it, like.. "too late you DOWN!"
Alright, before I conclude, let me discuss the track that features her on Missy Elliot's "Cookbook" album. You hear all this hype about how Timbo and Missy wanna work with her, how they are really feeling her vibe. And than you grab Missy's cd, because she's great and it's got MIA. But the track that features M.I.A also features the dancehall superstar Vybez Kartel, if Missy thinks that M.I.A and Kartel are anywhere on the same tip/genre/level, she needs to get off the treadmill and listen carefully. Why is Missy practicing her patois on here? She's from east coast US, not Jamaica! And why does it sound like M.I.A has been thrown onto this track as a last-minute thing? Maybe, because several times in the track Kartel goes "It's Missy and Kartel!" but there is no biggin up M.I.A. Irrespective of the fact, M.I.A still manages to blow up the verse that she is given, not to mention the beat isn't too bad either, but let's give a British-Asian artist a little more respect, especially one coming on a completely higher level than any before her.
M … I … A …. the album is amazing, she is truly unique… on a next level, taking Asian artists to a new level on the crossover, doing something completely different without using the "desi" thing as a gimmick, rest of you artists learn a thing or two. Not afraid to be her off-the-wall self, even if it means yelping in the mic once in a while! Her revolution is a success on a musical tip, the mainstream sound and image of the Asian artist will never be the same. But damn… that voice just clings to you till you can't get it out of your head. This whole album is STILL stuck in my head… a good three-four months later now.
You want me to give it a number out of 10? There is no way I'm degrading such innovative sounds by giving it a number, all I'm gonna say, once again, is that you have to pick this up, cuz once it gets in you, you can't stop wanting more of her stuff! If you haven't got it, go out and get it, trust me. Grab that money you were saving for that long awaited bhangra album cuz its probably gonna be disappointing anyway. Get this instead. There is nothing left to say, I'm retiring words on this masterpiece. If you disagree, you disagree, but this is has to be one of the best releases in a long time, desi or not. And now I'm gonna return to where I was before writing this review "sipping on a Rubican, thinking about where I've come, is all this for revolution?" |
