M.I.A.: Maya (Album Giveaway and Review)

by Bradley Stern
filed under: Album Review, Contest, M.I.A.

FrontCover CMYK 1024x1024 M.I.A.: Maya (Album Giveaway and Review)

As you may or may not have heard, a lot of people are getting all butt-hurt about M.I.A.‘s ‘Internet-inspired’ new record because it is a very noisy, very obvious rebel-against-the-rebels reactionary piece.

It is also kind of bad.

The album’s heavy reliance upon noisy sirens and over-driven guitar licks means that sometimes the songs will literally hurt your ears. She intentionally sings badly.The songs are not very danceable. And bad news for hipster douches: You’re not going to find a “Paper Planes” sequel here.

Nonetheless, there’s something sort of charming to me about this release.

I enjoy the tribal flow and lyrics of “Lovalot,” the anti-club banging, machine gun blaring appeal of “Steppin’ Up,” and I’m utterly obsessed with the carnal, pumping energy of “Meds & Feds.” I even kind of love “Born Free,” the Sri Lankan singer’s moderately successful attempt at producing her own punk anthem.

Sure, it’s no Arular–but it’s still got its perks here and there.

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To celebrate the release, MuuMuse is proud to be giving away ONE VINYL COPY of M.I.A.’s new record, / \ / \ / \ Y / \.

To enter to win, send me an e-mail with the subject line “XXXO” telling me your favorite M.I.A. track, or tweet me with the following phrase: “I want to take a shot of TEQKILLA with @MuuMuse!”

A winner will be notified and selected on Friday, July 23. Good luck!

XXXO, B.

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  • http://www.itsthemoneyshot.com JJS III

    Wouldn’t the hipster douches NOT want another “Paper Planes”? That would just propel Maya further into the mainstream, and we all know how hipster douches feel about the mainstream…

  • http://www.muumuse.com Bradley Stern

    OR DID YOU JUST BLOW MY FUCKING MIND.

  • RJ

    OH SHIT @ THE ABOVE STATEMENTS.

    AGREE WITH ALL WORDS. Half of me thinks the album is brilliant. It exhibits chaos/rebellion in a way that Hip-Hop hasn’t seen much of since it’s early days. Also, purposely not giving a shit about the production of the music and making it distort, clip, and completely ruin the mix (See: Every time the bass kicks in on Meds & Feds) somehow reeks of creativity.

    However, for every time I listen to Meds & Feds and think “FUCK YEAH…” there are 7 other listens where I just wish it all sounded like some time and effort was put into making the tracks sonically sound good.

  • MICHAEL

    It is definitely an Electronic-Punk album–emphasis on the punk and it also does remind me of old school hip hop (when it was aggressive); she is rebelling. I love all the dark tribal fighting beats.

    The purpose of punk is not to sound good, but to make you have a strong gut reaction, to think, and to force you to pay attention. She knows what she’s doing! <3

  • http://www.ainsophaur.us (m)

    Steppin’ Up is even my ringtone right now! Can’t get enought of those fucking powertools!

  • http://www.ainsophaur.us (m)

    I really did appreciate this review too, as I feel a lot of people didn’t really get it. This album is really for the true music enthusiast, not too sound pretentious, but I think she has definitely hit her mark with this and has reached Bjork heights of creativity. She finally has all the tools she needs at her disposal to truly reflect her interior.

  • Abby

    Finally, some good reviews! I’m sick and tired of reading bad reviews one after the next. If people would just pay attention to how MIA does things, you would know she’s doing this on purpose. Her musics not mainstream, nor pleasant to the ears. But thats how she is, she’s a rebel, I mean just listen.

  • Govan

    The sad thing about people who criticize her work like you is that you just dont seem to get her. She’s done the whole paper planes sound, shes not about to redo it with a different twist and she never would. The album is no arular or kala because that was her intention. For what she wanted to do, I’d say she’s been pretty successful. I only dislike the track called Space, everything else is brilliant.