MIA: Kala

Label: Interscope

Artistically, this is a big step forward from Arular, much of which borrowed heavily from baile funk. That hard-edged Brazilian style is still heard here, but less often, and rubbing up against musics from around the world (hip-hop, Bollywood, rai, bangra, quotes from rock songs – the album opens with an explicit reference to the Modern Lovers’ “Roadrunner” and steals a riff from “Blue Monday”) in a more imaginative production style. Many comparisons, some as much metaphorical as sonic, come to mind; the easiest to make, because of gender, range from Bow Wow Wow to Cibo Matto, from any number of female rappers to Bjork. But the closest match might be Tricky, especially when M.I.A. switches her tone from aggressively sing-song to deadpan, but also for their dark sarcasm, gun sounds, and love of stark sonic juxtapositions. In a way, Kala is her Maxinquaye.