M.I.A.: Maya

Label: Interscope

Being the Western world's go-to future-pop artist must be stressful. M.I.A. responds to both that pressure as well as a world in perpetual crisis with Maya, a typically untamed collection of post-everything beats 'n attitude. "XXXO" was the album's first single, which makes sense, given its mid-tempo ready-for-remix pace and pop-cult artifact referencing. But I wish they'd gone with the Switch-produced "Born Free," the Suicide-sampling (that classic "Ghost Rider" synth riff) bomb that she lit off on the Letterman show, much to the nation's shock and awe. Like M.I.A.'s other records, Maya can be disorienting -- "what song is this again?" is something you may wonder while hiking through this day-glo jungle of noise and rhythm -- but her pop instincts blend well with the aggressive stance she constantly returns to. "Story to Be Told" employs Rusko's new-style dubstep production to create a craftily sly tune about either fame or the voiceless victims of the world, possibly both. "It Takes a Muscle" further shows off the warmth behind M.I.A.'s persona, while "Meds and Feds" (among several others) takes the measure of this would-be global revolutionary circa now. Confounding and independent, M.I.A. remains an artist against whom so many others will continue to measure themselves. (The deluxe CD contains a special cover and four bonus songs, which also appear on the vinyl.) (Bosco)