Kala - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Maya Arulpragasam, the British-based daughter of Sri Lankan refugees, delivered one of 2005's eye-popping debuts, Arular. For an album that proudly flaunted tin-can production, indecipherable South London slang, and lyrical nods to suicide bombers, it brought the woman who records under the name M.I.A. unexpected mainstream success--she followed its release by touring North America with Gwen Stefani and recording with Missy Elliott and Timbaland, while the single "Galang" made its way into a car commercial. Kala (the first release was named after her freedom-fighting father, this one after her mother) throws Arulpragasam's newfound pop credentials into the bustle of Bollywood rhythms, police sirens, 8-bit dancehall beats, Third World car horns, and street singers. Recorded across several continents, it presents a far more dynamic listening experience than her first album, especially with tracks like "Bamboo Banga," "Jimmy," and "Paper Planes." It's no less exhausting, though. What with the New Order sample, Timbaland cameo, and gunshot sound effects, there isn't a moment when it doesn't feel like you've unintentionally invited an entire carnival into your home. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description
THIS CD FEATURES A FREE RINGTONE AND MOBILE PHONE WALLPAPER (see insert for details)

M.I.A. is hailed as one of the most freshly creative artists to hit the scene, paving the way for fierce and adventurous females to break the mold. With KALA, she pulls even more globe-trekking, and genre bending into her musical mix.

Recorded in India, Trinidad, Australia, London, New York and Baltimore, M.I.A. has crafted an international sound that is as excitingly undefineable as it is infectious.

The first single from KALA, "Boyz" was just listed at #1 Rolling Stone's Hot List, and #1 song of the Month in Blender magazine!

"Electrifying" - The New York Times

Album Description
M.I.A. is UK singer/rapper Maya Arulpragasam. Her 2005 debut album Arular unleashed her devastating dislocated beats, pounding basslines and chant-along vocals. M.I.A.'s unparalleled mongrel mix of hip-hop, ragga, dancehall, electro and punk saw Arular garner praise from far and wide, including being short listed for the Mercury Music Prize. In the USA M.I.A. signed with Interscope and hit the road opening for Gwen Stefani. M.I.A. is now set to release her second studio album, Kala. Amazing talent join forces with her on the new album, including Diplo, Timbaland, DJ Blaqstarr, Three 6 Mafia and producer, Switch.

Album Details
2007 Follow Up Album to "Arular" was Recorded in Several Countries with Producers that Include M.i.a., Switch, Diplo and Timbaland and Three Six Mafia on Two Songs for her Next Album. Three Tracks, "xr2" and the Album Skit "20 Dollar" (Which the Fans Titled "Talk About Moi") and "Bird Flu" Premiered on her Myspace and Fan Forum Site. Includes Contributions from Blaqstarr, Diplo and Timbaland.

Customer Reviews: Read 75 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars

I Still Don't Get It. August 21, 2007
167 out of 293 found this review helpful

A few years ago, a friend introduced me to M.I.A. He gives me a copy of "Arular" and says, "You have to hear this!" Now, more often than not I value this person's opinion. After all, he's introduced me to tons of music that I now love. So when I first put M.I.A. into my CD player and heard "Pull Up the People" I was a little surprised that what I was listening to was...well, terrible! I listened to the song for a few minutes before coming to the admittedly abrupt conclusion that this is something that I could never get into. A few months later, M.I.A. was turning up on nearly every top 10 list that I came across and I was even more confused. If everybody loves it, maybe I made my decision a bit prematurely. So I go out of my way to pick up a copy of "Arular" and I listen to it a few times. Surely this is enough time to make an informed decision about M.I.A. I was finally ready to lay down my final opinion; it's really, really terrible. "Kala" only helps solidify my opinion.

Now don't get me wrong. On any given M.I.A. song, there's at least one thing that will make you say "Wow, that was cool" or "That's really good," the problem is that very little of that has to do with Maya Arulpragasam. Following in the tradition of "Arular," "Kala" is a brilliantly produced album and one of the most unique visions of hip-hop and grime available! True, Maya plays a small role in that, but go ahead and credit most of that to the uber-talented Switch, who is responsible for most of the production of both albums. While he's busy slaving away making some of the most inventive songs in hip-hop today, M.I.A., herself, is hard at work yelping repetitive and simplistic rhymes into the microphone. There, I said it.

The sad thing is that M.I.A. is at her best when she's at her most repetitive. A song like "Bird Flu" or "Bamboo Banger" where she's left to repeat "I'm a road runner" to no end is much more appealing than when she actually sits down and tries to write something meaningful. "Paper Planes," for example, is an absolute chore to listen to, and really shows just how untalented she really is as a vocalist and as a writer. She might as well be singing "Please press the eject button."

While most of the songs on "Kala" have the potential to be decent, say, in a club or live setting, I can't see myself enjoying this nonsense in any other environment. Is the music unique? Yes! Is it creative? Absolutely! Does it have it's moments? For sure! But when it's all said and done, Maya Arulpragasam is an absolutely terrible excuse for an artist whose appeal has more to do with her back story and her producers than herself. I don't expect a lot of positive feedback from this review, but I'm not really concerned about that. The fact of the matter is that I just didn't understand why "Arular" was such a critical success. Now that I've had the chance to listen to "Kala," it's safe to say that I still don't quite get it.

Recommended for fans of "Arular" and repetitive dog yelps.

Key Tracks:
1. "Bird Flu"
2. "Boyz"
3. "Hussel (f/ Afrikan Boy)"
4. "Down River"

4 out of 10 Stars

5 out of 5 stars

"I put people on the map who ain't seen a map." August 21, 2007
85 out of 104 found this review helpful

M.I.A.'s (Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam) amazing debut album, Arular, garnered many dedicated fans. One of them just happened to be mega-producer Timbaland. He was so enthusiastic, in fact, that he wanted to work with her for her sophomore release. Of course Maya obliged and she even cried tears of happiness. But before she could begin collaborating with him, a little--okay, a big--obstacle came up; the Sri Lankan was not allowed to enter the United States for ten months due to visa troubles. Some artists would just quit right then and there, but that's not how she operates. M.I.A. figured that if she couldn't come into the US, then she would go and create her art everywhere else on the globe. And that's what she did. Kala was recorded in many locations, including India, London, Australia, Africa and Trinidad.

Maya's first album, named after her father, was raw and unapologetically fierce. M.I.A. herself admitted the album was rather "masculine." However, Kala is, among other things, softer and more personal. It's only right that she named it after her mother. Maya's father doesn't think mom deserves the privilege. (Supposedly, the two are very competitive). But I would have to disagree with Papa Arulpragasam. When he left his family to become a freedom fighter, his jobless wife had to support her children and provide for them. Not only is she deserving of the title for respect's sake, but also because her struggle is represented in many of the songs. In tracks like "$20," Maya sounds less like the rambunctious girl we met on her debut and more like a tired and slightly bitter mother who has seen the cruelty of the world, trying to find hope and meaning somewhere. But still... there's strength! Power. (In the absolute best way possible, of course).

The album opens perfectly with the minimalist, shuffling mid-tempo beat of "Bamboo Banga." About two minutes into the song, the beat picks up and grows in complexity and Maya announces triumphantly that she is coming back with "powah powah!" (Couldn't have said it better myself). Up next is the energetic "Bird Flu," complete with the chanting of little village girls, booming tribal drums and the "ba-gok!" of chickens. "Boyz" is a fun and quirky summer jam that sounds straight out of a street parade. The track is laced with a collage of drums, an infectious "how many" vocal sample and whistling. "Jimmy" is a slightly reworked/re-written version of a Bollywood song Maya used to sing at parties for money as a child. The disco track is thoroughly entertaining with addictive strings and some electronic beeps added for a modern touch. While it is very different from anything M.I.A. has created before, it is a very welcome addition to the album for me. "Hussel" is the first song on here that takes on the serious tone I mentioned earlier. Over the ominous, synth-heavy production, which sounds straight out of a rainforest, Maya raps about the hustle and grind of raising money to help family and friends in need. Guest artist Afrikan Boy adds a nice universal touch. Speaking of guest artists, "Mango Pickle Down River" has a group of Aboriginal kids, the Wilcannia Mob, rapping with her. They rap about their adventures together over a buzzing, bumbling track. "$20" is the epitome of the tone I mentioned in the second paragraph. It is also probably Kala's most introspective track. Maya, sounding almost defeated, spits out random deep thoughts on her mind. "World Town" is by far the track that best resembles Arular musically. Still, the lyrics fit the album's theme. "The Turn," like many of the other tracks, finds Maya... singing. She actually sounds beautiful and very unique. The lyrics say it all: "Don't bother me with your mess/ I'm trying to do my best/ Get my head up out the stress/ When the money turns the world/ Your lovin' turns to less." The meandering groove is just amazing. "XR2," which she posted on her MySpace earlier this year, is a hyperactive, percolating club track with a catchy sped-up horn sample. Her vocal delivery is almost like her own version of the Ying Yang Twins' "Whisper Song." (Except... much better). "Paper Planes" has already become a fan favorite, and rightfully so. It samples The Clash's "Straight To Hell," it's an extremely catchy song that discreetly speaks on her frustration about the visa situation, the chorus mixes roaring gunshots and cash register "cha-chings!" and it's produced by ex-boyfriend, Diplo. What's not to love? The closing track, "Come Around," is the only one produced by Timbaland. While many of Maya's fans resent the song (while others pretend it doesn't exist), I happen to love it. Sure, it's a little more mainstream than the other stuff, but it's fun, bouncy and her swagger is irresistible. It's a good way too end the album, in my opinion.

Kala is a triumph. M.I.A. was faced with terrible misfortune, but rather than sitting around defeated, she traveled around the world, interacting with the people and recording a diverse, creative and just plain amazing album. This is by far one of--if not the--best CDs I've heard all year. I highly recommend.

1 out of 5 stars

Help speed things along... August 21, 2007
38 out of 98 found this review helpful

You, too, can help speed the demise of civilization: Buy this album; Give it to a dim-witted young person; Promote the idea that this, too, is art and culture.

2 out of 5 stars

lack of talent? August 23, 2007
29 out of 40 found this review helpful

look: with arular, we heard a new sound. m.i.a.'s strange vocal stylings and the production, sparse and off-center enough that it was something that was slightly familiar, but different enough that it provided an interesting listen. still, it wasnt clear whether or not m.i.a. herself had any talent. her personal story was interesting and her album was strange, but was she talented?
with kala, we see that perhaps it wasnt her talent, but the overall feel of arular that drove that album. the production on this album is much clearer and lacks the eerie, strange quality of arular. what we have here is an album to dance to but not to listen to. also, m.i.a.'s vocals are much clearer, also taking away the strange quality of arular. with kala, especially on tracks like "hussel" i am left thinking, 'if i wanted to hear a rap album there are much better options out there...'
i have no doubt that her life story is an interesting one, but the turn she has taken towards crisp production and accessable vocals (ie. rapping and singing as opposed to what she was doing on arular) only highlights her deficiencies as a vocalist.

5 out of 5 stars

Kala September 13, 2007
28 out of 34 found this review helpful

To understand what makes Kala succeed so brilliantly is to realize why so many anti-war albums fail. Exhorting a message is easy. Getting people to sit up and pay attention is a much more formidable task, one that's proven too tall an order for the likes of the Flaming Lips, Nine Inch Nails, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, From Monument to Masses, and dozens of others. Kala sets itself apart by pulling off the neat hat trick of sounding both urgent and joyous--something that the Sri Lankan M.I.A. (nee Maya Arulpragasam) managed to do with 2005's Arular, but which gets presented here to an incredible new extent. Perhaps Arulpragasam became a musician to push a point, but Kala is better poised for a club than for brow-furrowing headphone listening or a street protest; it is music first, a message second.

Surely, Kala is some of the most exciting world-electronica fusion the United States has heard since, well, Arular. The production on "Bird Flu" is so chillingly perfect that you might forget that the song has no melody to speak of. Here and elsewhere, M.I.A. exploits the universal and pleasurable properties of percussion to draw us into Kala's world; unless you actually live there, your knowledge of Sri Lankan music is probably nil, and M.I.A. is the most accessible guide one could hope for. Tribal drumming and modern-day electro exist alongside each other as naturally as oil and vinegar, while M.I.A. plays to and uproots our expectations by taking world music cliches and turning them on their heads, whether it's the hilarious pygmy-like shouts in the war-paint-covered "Bird Flu" or the ersatz strings in the 1982 Bollywood cover, "Jimmy". If anything, Kala hammers home Sri Lanka's status as a hotbed of multiculturalism. Its music is African, Indian, Middle Eastern, British and wryly American all at once, and I can imagine no better environment for an anti-war cry than one in which musical styles coexist this peacefully.

M.I.A.'s exhortation strategy is fresh, uncommon, and sledgehammer-blunt. "Fight on!", the album cover shamelessly reads, and it's clear that M.I.A. considers a move toward peace as literally that: a mobilization that requires as much force as soldiers are willing to devote to a war. Her fight-fire-with-fire approach results in music that's more bracing and confrontational than Arular while still avoiding sounding militaristic, instead coming off like a cheerleading squad that means deathly serious business. M.I.A.'s voice often feels like a drum, pounding away about the price of AK-47s in Africa, forgoing a fashion career for the sake of protest, being hassled about immigration papers and what it might be like to blow up the fighters in her dreams. She stands above the dreck as a paragon of self-confidence, while even allowing some humor to peek through on "Boyz": "How many no money boyz are crazy, how many boyz are raw? / How many no money boyz are rowdy, how many start a war?" (The `z's aren't there for nothing.) Of course, when Nigerian M.C. Afrikan Boy reproachfully spits, "You think it's tough now? Come to Africa" on "Hussel," we don't dare laugh.

Perhaps most phenomenal is how M.I.A. made a better album than Arular by grabbing the reins herself. For Kala, she aligned herself with UK house producer Switch, whose relatively hands-off approach allowed M.I.A. to have a greater say in the production and arrangements than she had on Arular (heretofore considered DJ Diplo's album above all). It shows; Kala sounds like the album M.I.A. wanted to make, all the way down to the slinky swamp song "The Turn." In fact, "Come Around" is the only track I can think of in which Timbaland's foray behind the boards actually makes the song less interesting than what surrounds it. If M.I.A. wasn't an international superstar before Kala's release, she likely will be and certainly deserves to be; this is her album, reflective of her vital personality and compelling statement of purpose at every single turn. In an era riddled with ghostwriting, lip-synching, showboating and O-Town, few recording artists alive are less deserving of M.I.A.'s own namesake than M.I.A.

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