M.I.A. – Kala

This is some sick shit.  Yes.  I speak nothing but the truth to you, and if you have even the most cursory interest into popular music and sampling culture, this album is a must hear.   The obvious standout is the amazing ‘Paper Planes’, which lifts the entire guitar riff from The Clash’s ‘Straight To Hell’, along with gunshots and cash-register sounds as percussion hooks.  The main producers for the album appear to be Diplo and Switch, along with M.I.A. herself, and they did a job.  Other standouts are ’20 Dollar’, ‘Boyz’, ‘Mango Pickle Down River’, and ‘Bird Flu’.  Well recommended.