Kala - M.I.A

The one thing you can say with certainty about this record is that you can definitely tell that it was recorded in America, India, Japan, Trinidad, Australia, and Jamaica. This is not your standard "mono sound" album filled with identical tracks, this is a sonic melting pot to an insane degree. The question is, does that mean it's any good?

Well for the most part it does.

Be it the Indian drums pervading Bird Flu, the Clash sample on Paper Planes or the appearance of Afrikan Boy on Hussel there is always something bombarding your senses.

The only real problem is that those of you looking for a classic "tune" might find yourselves with a task on your hand. And when you consider that one of the few songs that does have a catchy tune, Jimmy, sounds exactly like something you'd expect from Boney M you might be put off already. (For the record, for all the "who sung what" nonsense, Boney M were awesome).

But whilst this album may in some ways be purposefully alienating you there is no doubting the power of it. It may not get it right every time, but you'll not hear anything remotely like this anywhere else this year...and that has to count for something.