Arular was pretty good at the time, and M.I.A. live showed a bit too, but still, I didn't expect her second album to be good at all, and hadn't listened to it properly until a few days ago; well, I sure got that one wrong. Kala is a large step in a whole range of different directions and, in its totality, a vivid pop album which doesn't sound much like anything else out there.
"Boyz" is the standout - I hardly understand a word of it, but that's no hinderance to recognising its genius. Particularly like "$20" too; like all of the tracks on Kala, it strikes an ideal balance between beats and melody, busy-ness and structure, sounds and song. We already knew that the girl had talent - now, it's beginning to seem as if she might be the real thing.
