Released - 7/7/10
Label - XL Recordings
BLURB - After more than a three year hiatus, M.I.A. returns with the release of her highly anticipated third record, "Maya." M.I.A. is more or less known for her unique and worldly interpretation of hip-hop and dub-style house beats. 2007 saw the singer break out with the release of "Kala," as she landed several awards and guest spots with everyone from Jay-Z to Timbaland. "Maya" attempts to further explore her creativity and zest for making diverse tracks that are both musically interesting and explore her second life as a human rights activist. But unfortunately M.I.A. gets a bit carried away on "Maya" and the music suffers, as the record is inundated with useless and distracting effects that make the album extremely difficult to get through.
Rating - 3 out of 10
FULL STORY - Prior to the release of "Maya," M.I.A. released a controversial video for her single 'Born Free.' The video was nine minutes long and was based around a fictitious genocide in which everyone with red hair was captured and executed. Needless to say, due to the explicit violence and themes of the video, it was subsequently banned by many media outlets and had much of the public up in arms. The truth, however, is that in many third world countries discrimination and genocide are status quo. What M.I.A did with this video is not only spread the word on these terrible situations, but also stir up interest in "Maya." I'll be honest, once I saw the video for 'Born Free' I immediately googled the release date for the album.
And so when "Maya" dropped I picked it up, hoping for it to be some political masterpiece that fused her activism and musicality. Unfortunately, the record is anything but.
After an introduction in 'The Message,' listeners are hit with a barrage of drill gun and chainsaw effects that, for whatever reason, are used as the basis for the beat. The effects are incredibly annoying and make the song near impossible to listen to. M.I.A did something similar to this with 'Paper Planes' back on "Kala," but it sounded good and worked with the actual music. 'Steppin Up' is just a train wreck and all over the place.
'XXXO' is the second single, and I think what everyone was expecting the record to sound like. The beat is incredible diverse, yet not chaotic and is filled with some great vocals from M.I.A. The track has a mass appeal that will resonate with new listeners, while remaining credible for fans that have been with her from the start. The bass and synthesizers are a force to be reckoned with, giving the song layers of depth and versatility. One can easily envision hearing this song at a club, or even becoming an anthem for one of M.I.A's human rights campaigns.
Tragically, after 'XXXO' the album completely falls of the table. 'Teqkilla' is one of the most annoying songs I've ever heard. Granted the drums and the overall beat sound great, but there are waves of effects that completely negate how great the track could be. There is this beeping siren sound that circulates through the entire song, making it unbearable to listen to. If she would just take that sound out of the song, it would instantly become ten times better.
'Meds and Feds' may be the only other track that I actually like, but this isn't really saying much as the track largely samples 'Treats' from indie noise rockers, Sleigh Bells (one of my favorite bands). The song pretty much sounds like 'Treats' but with enhanced percussion and a sped up beat. As the case with Sleigh Bells, 'Meds and Feds' has a noise and loudness that really shouldn't sound appealing, but does. The distortion and dangerously high levels give the track a nice edge and an angry persona.
As for the rest of "Maya," it is mired in chaos and confusion with way too much going on. It's just difficult to get through. I think we were all hoping to have an album filled with songs like 'Paper Planes' or 'XXXO' but this is simply not the case. As the songs are flooding your brain with hundreds of effects and noises to process, they always become overly repetitive and never go anywhere. The record as a whole is incredibly stagnant and never really accomplishes anything in particular.
Tracks
1.) The Message
2.) Steppin Up
3.) XXXO
4.) Teqkilla
5.) Lovalot
6.) Story to Be Told
7.) It Takes Muscle
8.) It Iz What It Iz
9.) Born Free
10.) Meds and Feds
11.) Tell Me Why
12.) Space
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