My Best of the Year in Music: Kala

The Year: 2007

The Album: M.I.A.'s Kala

I don't buy much music on cd anymore. I do a lot more downloading. But I bought Kala. Usually I'm still catching up on music from the last few years so I'm not always listening to the most recent releases. But I bought Kala the first week it was out.

Usually when I buy something new, I listen to it once, out of consumer obligation, then set it aside not having struck a chord. Still, I usually revisit the album, and luck permitting, I'll really love the album.

Of course, I had already heard Arular. That's why I knew to buy Kala in its first week of release. Yet, Arular was never part of my regular rotation. I'd listen to all once. Then occasionally I would revisit a track or two. Never knowing which track to pick, which would give me the rush I was looking for, the instantaneous satisfaction.

Kala, though, was an album that I loved immediately, straight from the opening track. (And it's one of those that sound great as a soundtrack to driving, a reason for the cd purchase-- until I give in and buy an iPod). That said, other critics can sum it up better than I can.

From The A.V. Club's Best of Music 2007 list where it ranked sixth:

M.I.A.'s Kala joined the ranks of that special brand of album that evokes not just an inimitable musical world, but, better and more resounding, a whole other planet. Song after song proves hot and colorful, and M.I.A. exhibits the kind of presence as a rapper-singer that shows no sign of flagging. No song this year did a better job than "Bamboo Banga" of summoning both the homey rock drone of The Modern Lovers and the spirit of Bollywood, and the party never dims from the opening track on. Extra credit, too, to an album that counts its one Timbaland-produced track as its weakest.

I pretty much agree with everything said there by The A.V. Club critic. Although, "Mango Pickle Down River" may in fact be the weakest track. Despite its killer beat, the novelty of the child rappers is just too grating. And while "Bamboo Banga" is a great opening track that establishes the rest of the album, the real standout is "Paper Planes." It is just super-catchy and makes great use of a Clash sample (Combat Rock's "Straight to Hell").

I'm not very good at noticing samples without external aids though (thankfully I have Wikipedia). Other things I noticed and enjoyed, though, are the "lyric sampling" of The Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner" and Pixies' "Where is My Mind?" in "Bamboo Banga" and "20 Dollar" respectively. There are some real underrated tracks on the album too; tracks that don't standout on first listen but grow and grow as their accomplishments become more apparent on repeat listens. My personal favourite is likely "The Turn" at this point.

Here is the music video for "Paper Planes": (There are also videos for "Bird Flu," "Boyz," and "Jimmy")




(P.S. Look out for two of the three Beastie Boys).

Other new albums I've enjoyed this calendar year: Stars' In Our Bedroom after the War, Busdriver's Roadkillovercoat, Bloc Party's A Weekend in the City, Beirut's The Flying Club Cup

Still need to check out new Radiohead and Wu-Tang among others...