I am starting a new thread about the album because its discussion became buried within the "Born Free" video thread and also because I believe this album deserves it.
I was a casual fan of hers and her previous albums had a couple of really good songs but they felt like uneven mixtapes with plenty of filler. This new album, MAYA, is outstanding and FEELS like a true album. I would even say it is an anti-concept album because although the album art, song titles, and lyrics suggest technological warfare, it doesn't really lure the listener into feeling like they are going through an actual story or concept, it just simply flows well and sounds very good. The music is essentially a hybrid of hip-hop/industrial (with semi-punk lyrics and a fantastic dub-styled song) and thankfully doesn't have much of that world music feel that dominated her previous albums. There is no "Paper Planes" or any song with true commercial appeal with the exception of "XXXO" but they are extremely memorable nonetheless and I keep going back to this album over and over again. I hope many of you give it a chance (like many of you did with Janelle Monae) and forget anything you know or thought about M.I.A. because this album is a true mindfuck, especially with good headphones.
Favorite Songs:
Story To Be Told - The lead synth (?) is insane. It sounds like something George Harrison might have made while being haunted by ghosts or just tripping on acid.
Born Free - The song was buried within the music video and I never got into it but when I heard it with good headphones and a good audio system, I was blown away. It really demands to be heard on its own without the context of the video.
Meds and Feds - is a NIN/Ministry-esque song with a very hard crunching guitar riff and pounding beats. I hope she takes this harder sound into her future projects.
I was a casual fan of hers and her previous albums had a couple of really good songs but they felt like uneven mixtapes with plenty of filler. This new album, MAYA, is outstanding and FEELS like a true album. I would even say it is an anti-concept album because although the album art, song titles, and lyrics suggest technological warfare, it doesn't really lure the listener into feeling like they are going through an actual story or concept, it just simply flows well and sounds very good. The music is essentially a hybrid of hip-hop/industrial (with semi-punk lyrics and a fantastic dub-styled song) and thankfully doesn't have much of that world music feel that dominated her previous albums. There is no "Paper Planes" or any song with true commercial appeal with the exception of "XXXO" but they are extremely memorable nonetheless and I keep going back to this album over and over again. I hope many of you give it a chance (like many of you did with Janelle Monae) and forget anything you know or thought about M.I.A. because this album is a true mindfuck, especially with good headphones.
Favorite Songs:
Story To Be Told - The lead synth (?) is insane. It sounds like something George Harrison might have made while being haunted by ghosts or just tripping on acid.
Born Free - The song was buried within the music video and I never got into it but when I heard it with good headphones and a good audio system, I was blown away. It really demands to be heard on its own without the context of the video.
Meds and Feds - is a NIN/Ministry-esque song with a very hard crunching guitar riff and pounding beats. I hope she takes this harder sound into her future projects.
