Giving Radiohead's In Rainbows and Wilco's Sky Blue Sky a competition for 2007's album of the year.
Sri Lankan-British M.I.A's sophomore album, Kala is a tough balance between her compromised politics -- a cred that earlier banned her a visa in the U.S for writing about "Third World democracy" "US terrorism" "Disapproval of Western Worlds" and her "father's alleged involvement with Tamil Tigers" and her art collage of globe-trotting musical production which combines British grime and slinky hiphop beats (ala Missy Elliott-Timbaland) with Ballywood, dancehall, Indian Traditional music, 80's synthesizers, Afrobeat, retro-pop, Baile Funk (Brazil?) and hooky samples from The Clash (Straight to Hell) New Order, Jonathan Richman and children's choir from India.
Sounds like the Bjork/Radiohead of hiphop. No, just fawking brilliant dance album.
