Customer Reviews

Arular

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

When I first heard of M.I.A. through word of mouth and anticipating articles, I sort of formed this opinion of this interesting, yet ultimately disappointing electronic outfit.

I listened to the single, "Galang" and was very put off.

So...don't ask me why I decided to buy Arular when I found it had placed #2 on my store's top 10 dance albums. *Something* compelled me. So as I took it home and listened to it, I found I was seriously not in the mood for it. I wanted something melodic, and this album is anything BUT melodic. On top of that, her accent and the amount of violence really made me worry that I wasted my money.

Yet I found I couldn't put it away. It constantly finds it's way on my stereo, and then I started really listening to the tracks, and I found that I really do love this CD. It's seductive, it's sleek, it's sexy, and it's BLUNT. Another reviewer put it perfectly about the artist post 9/11. The first skit, "Banana Skit" had me captivated simply by the use of beats. That she's teaching us how to pronounce Banana only makes it better. "Pull Up The People" had a driving and seductive beat with an extremely relevant message. Actually I believe her entire album has a great message.

Bucky Done Gun uses a weird horn sample during the song which I actually can't wait to hear whenever I listen to the music.

All of the songs share the inventiveness, creativity, and desperation of an artist craving to express herself. This album isn't for everyone, but it should be.

this album is great! its refreshing to discover a strong female artist who's unwilling to use her sexuality to sell records. think about it, there are really very few out there who aren't shaking their [...] to hide that they have no real talent. heck, i can drop it like its hot, it don't mean a thang. so i heard "galang" about a year ago and was blown away - awesome! i had to have the album so i scooped it up and from the first "ba-na-na" i was hooked. MIA throws down great lyrics, rapping, singing, chanting. really fun stuff, despite the content at times. i don't know that this album is appropriate for kids, but nowadays not much is. MIA's association with the Tamil Tigers (her father is/was a member) seems to be a basis for much of her writing and there is a fair amount of violence. MTV refused to play the "sunshowers" video because of her reference to the PLO. and MIA would not edit the track, except to remove an F-bomb or two. good for her!!! no compromise! so the album is full of gritty beats, danceable and interesting. Diplo mixed and if you are a fan, i recommend getting your hands on the ultra-rare "piracy funds terrorism" - (re)mixes mostly by Diplo of Arular songs and a TON of extras. "pop" and "ladykiller" are worth it alone. but back to Arular - if you're into strong ladies, socially conscious lyrics and funky beats, check it out. my fave songs include "sunshowers" "fire fire" and "amazon."

My 10 year old daughter and my 61 year old butt can't get enough of Arular. Masterfully edited - as tight and rich as the Beatles at their peak. The dad loves the mechanical electronic aspects. The girl has to sing along with the singsong poetry and just dance to it.

Maya's voice is awesome. My brother's reaction was that he doesn't like foreigh sounding funny voices in his music, so this isn't for everyone. But it's not just for open minded college students. This is the real thing. This is a most favored treat in our huge and eclectic music collection.

As with other reviewers, we, too, are put off by the violent images, but for us it has the authentic feel of a window into the revolutionary third world.

First of all I'm a Sinhalese from Sri Lanka...
I told you guys this.... because there'll be some people saying this is a biased and a resist view..To hell with it.. I don't care.......This is specially for all the Sri Lankans... to get an idea about M.I.A. and her music...

I read in a review saying PLO is not a terrorist organisation...Its PLOT actually... PLOT is one of many organisational arms of the LTTE. And M.I.A.'s father was an active member of the PLOT.

For people who don't know what the hell I'm talking bout....
Sri Lanka is a country in Asia....(you may have heard about it or may have not...) And there are 3 major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka..Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim. A group of tamil Rebels calling themselves LTTE, wants to divide the country asking for a separate state. And We have been at war with these terrorists for about 17 years....Now we are on peace talks, but not sure if it will last or not..

The LTTE perfected the art of suicide Bombing, have killed thousands of innocent people, have massacred entire Sihhala & Muslim villages...I mean killing soldiears in a war is one thing but bombing buses & trains and killing innocent people by suicide bombings.....thats why countries call them terrorists..

M.I.A. real name Mathangi arulpragasam is a Sri Lankan Tamil... Her farther was an active PLOT member (PLOT is a another org of LTTE)....got killed by the Sri Lankan Army (Or still missing..amounts to the same thing) when attending to some terrorist activities.. M.I.A. stands for `Missing In Action'......she's also probably referring to her father's disappearance during the war.. If you go to her website you can see loads of LTTE logos (Ealam logos with the Tiger's head with two T-56 guns...this is why LTTE is also referred as Tigers)..and a map of the Area of Sri Lanka where the LTTE wants a separate state....I mean.........common...why do you want to put terrorist propaganda in your music website...? Just because her farther belongs to a terrorist group ...she doesn't have to take the same road...
In `Sunshinedown' vedio there is a scene where some girls dancing wearing the uniform of the Female LTTE guerrilla's.......in the notes of making the vedio, she proudly says she employed some real female guerrilla's in that video.....................
Way to go MIA...................I read some saying MIA is original...of cause she may be the first artist who, employed real terrorists in a music video....

She openly supports LTTE, a terrorist group which is banned in many countries, including USA. Just check it out if you don't believe me... should be at the top of the list... maybe she's angry with Sri Lanka and Sinhala people..( where she express her views in "Pull Up The People" and "Fire Fire" -

Taken from Fire Fire-
Growin up, Brewin Up
Guerilla gettin trained up
look out look out
From over the Rooftop [reffering to ..LTTE Snipers.. a reall menace]

Competition coming up now
Load up,
Aim,
Fire Fire,
Pop

"Row Da Boat - Straight to da ocean
Give 'im a run - A run at his own game"
[Sea Tigers (LTTE's sea fighters) constantly battle's with SL's navy.... She's talking bout kicking our navy's ass...yeah in her dreams maybe......]

She has a lot of LTTE propaganda in her music website...even promoting LTTE in music...WTF...

As a Sri Lankan opposing Terrorism I don't like her....But if I look at her music without a political view....the album is pretty cool

Ok, this album is one of those things where you either love it or you hate it... There's not a lot of room in between, and even though I really like the quirky lyrics and catchy beats, I'll be the first one to announce that this album is destined to be despised by many.

Lyrically, (after you listen enough to really interpret them) this album is political. However, she covers up some of her darker messages with up-beat sounds and effects. As I told my friends, if you're a fan of G.W., you're gonna hate these songs... (Especially the hidden track, "M.I.A.").

Vocally, the only artist I can compare her voice to is Bjork. Their styles of music are completely different. But they way they sing are similar because both of them have very very strong accents, which also will put off some listeners.

Finally the general sound to the songs is... different. I think this is what will raise the most eyebrows, because most people aren't used to listening to this type of music. She put most of it together with one of those beat-machines, so it has a electronica/drum'n'bass feel to it.

I don't think many people are ready for M.I.A. She's too different, and that scares a lot of people. However, if you like listening to a little bit of everything, like to have a diverse collection of music, and like to have something truly "unique," then I suggest downloading one or two songs from iTunes or something to see what you think first.

But if you truly hate dance music, don't even bother with this album.

And don't hate her just because you don't get it, hate her after you figure her out... because it's unfair to judge us and her from sample clips that don't even give this album any justice.

Recommended songs: "Bucky Done Gun", "10 Dollar", "Galang", and the hidden track "M.I.A."

After the relentless hype building up to the oft-delayed release of M.I.A.'s debut CD, it's finally here, and...well...it's a bit of a letdown, quite honestly, after all the hoopla. Sure, "Galang" "Sunshowers" and especially "$10" are catchy addictive Timbaland-meets-Basement Jaxx on a boat to Jamaica blender, but after a few spins, song after song begins to sound exactly the same, and MIA's signature "patois" grates after a bit, too. Strip away the state-of-the-art production beats & sheen from Richard X and Diplo, and you haven't got much - sorta work in progress. I think M.I.A. has lots of potential, but needs to work on her songwriting skills a bit more if she wants to last longer than her cover stories.

This album is innovative and fun, blending various styles to create one slick and catchy sound. It is a refreshing change to bland Strokes-wannabies and the same old homogenised Fiddy/G-Unit output and what a surprise you Yanks don't seem to understand or appreciate it! I've even read reviews on here criticising her accent - SHE'S FOREIGN WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?!? I've read other reviews attacking her political agenda - WHAT DO FIDDY AND HIS GOONS RAP ABOUT??? Guns, Beatches and Drugs that's what!!!! At least MIA has something intelligent to say. Isn't freedom of speech a constitutional right for you guys anyway??? Open your ears and your wallet and buy a copy now!!!

A cursory listen to Arular makes one wonder how it could generate so much heated, in-depth talk, as it did well before its official release. This is very direct and physical party music, with lots of slang-filled phrasings that might not have any more meaning than "The roof is on fire!" or "Dizzouble dizzutch!" to Americans. It's music that is conducive to dancing or doing other carefree things in the sunshine, rather than what you should hear most often through feeble computer speakers in dimly lit rooms. So why bother discussing it at all? Well, below the surface is a lot more than anyone's basic idea of a good time. The blend of styles - a dense, often chaotic collage of garage from the U.K., dancehall from Jamaica, crunk from the Dirty South, electro and hardcore rap from New York, and glints of a few others - is unique enough to baffle anyone who dares categorize it. Beats crack concrete in whomping blasts and scramble senses in exotic patterns; flurries of percussive noise, synthetic handclaps, and synth jabs add chaos; exuberant vocals are delivered in a manner that will be frequently unintelligible to a lot of ears. More importantly, once all the layers of rhythm and accents are peeled away, you'll hear that Maya Arulpragasam - the London-based woman of Sri Lankan origin who, along with a host of fellow producers, is behind the album - has a lot more on her mind and in her past than fun, even when she's only alluding to the violence and strife her people have endured. The images that adorn the cover of the album aren't present merely for the sake of design, either; the tanks aren't a nod to the No Limit label. (Enter 10,000-word history of pre-tsunami Sri Lanka here.) The one key definite about Arular is that it's the best kind of pop album imaginable. It can be enjoyed on a purely physical level, and it also carries the potential to adjust your worldview.

I love this album. The sound is fresh, it makes me want to dance and I love the mix of sounds. Well produced, good lyrics, great freshman album, can't wait to see what M.I.A. does next.

"Galang" is a great and very danceable song with a very 'bollywood' feel to it.......

The other songs on this album are masterpieces within themselves, and I recommend this to anyone looking for anything new to listen to.