MIA - Arular
[XL Recordings]

Those who were left suitably speachless by M.I.A.'s first single 'Galang' will instantly fall in love with this future classic. For those too difficult to be convinced will find themselves both stunned and bewildered at the rich qualities and references contained within 'Arular'.

'Arular' is not a poor man's imitation of by-gone genres, but a beautiful combination of multi-cultural and extremely diverse World wide influences; Tossing from grime to bhangra, dancehall to hip hop, R & B to electro and pop to create a collage remarkably vibrant and cutting edge. The focal point of the album however, is not the jagged urban beats and dance friendly basslines, but M.I.A.'s outspoken lyrics and refreshingly honest opinions on a variety of risky subjects - war, refugees, money, prostitution are all given the ruthless verbal treatment and are futher emphasised from the track titles; 'Freedom Skit', 'Fire Fire' and 'Dollar'.

M.I.A. hasn't just produced a landmark album that will be remembered for years to come, she's also an extremely inspirational figure in contemporary music and re-writing the books on creating cross-genres. 'Arular' will surely be a contender for biggest break-through and most satisfying album of the year.