MIA provides an aural explosion! (Arular - MIA)

Member Name: edinburgher

Product:	Arular - MIA
Date:	05/01/09 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Non stop energy and a blending of musical styles

Disadvantages: Skits can be a nuisance

I grabbed this album from one of my sister's CD racks on a quiet rainy evening when I was house sitting for my parents and was very, very bored! After an hour of this I found myself dancing around the house in a very silly manner, caught up in a host of infectious rhythms.

Self professed world citizen MIA flawlessly blends together a heady mix of dancehall, ragga, pop and dance music (a collection that sounds terrible on paper) in a collection that will have you clicking your fingers in next to no time.

Far from just being party music though, MIA is quick to promote a wide range of political points and takes no shame in taking fire at inequality and sexism - it's refreshing stuff.

'Pull up the People' and 'Bucky Done Gun' are standout tracks and are followed shortly after by 'Sunshowers', a great summer track. The next track that really grabs the attention is 'Amazon', with some great beats, although 'Bingo' is also something of a crowd pleaser. The closer 'Galang' plays with a range of electronic effects and fades out leaving you feeling rather pleased with this CD.

My only complaint with this CD is the occasional skit, which fans of rap and reggae music will no doubt be familiar with. I feel that these would be better tacked on to an existing track than getting track numbers of their own. But still, this is a very minor detraction from a cracking album.

Summary: One of the most inventive albums of 2005, listen to this even if you're not a fan of dancehall