M.I.A, Arular

I'm a big fan of M.I.A.'s recent album Kala but only in the last few weeks have I finally bought her first album Arular. I guess I didn't expect it to be as good as Kala as with many debut albums. I sometimes find it hard to go backwards in an artists career when compared to starting with the early stuff and hearing them develop.

Thankfully I was wrong! Arular is a cracking album that I think I prefer to Kala - although I'll wait a few months before I make my mind up.

It's a more raw album than Kala, with stronger beats and more attitude. Bucky Done Gun is a cracking tune that with a totally addictive, repetitive trumpet sample running through it.

Arular is well worth buying if you like M.I.A. and can handle your music a little more done and dirty!

M.I.A, Arular is a remarkable album on several counts. The genius behind the CD is the refugee daughter of a Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger freedom fighter who came to London at the age of 10 knowing only 5 words of English. Now 28, she's producing infectious, percussion-driven hip hop with a political bent.

The songs are sparse, built around heavy drum and percussion with the odd bleep or bit of synthesised sound, lending focus to the semi-rapped, semi-spoken vocals which are all about her life. She writes about the education of a refugee, growing up in London and about civil war, strife and violence.

The album can be heavy going at times and despite being dance-orientated is not really something to throw on the stereo at a party. However, it's both shocking and striking at the same time, is imbued with intelligence and creative thought and is certainly worth a listen.