M.I.A. - /\/\ /\ Y /\

Whether it's truffle fries with the New York Times or releasing a controversial music video for her new song, "Born Free," M.I.A. hasn't stopped making headlines since the release of her last album, 2007's Kala. Next month, she'll be garnering even more headlines for a better reason: her third album, Maya, is due out on July 13. After naming her first album after her father (Arular), and her second after her mother, it's only fitting that M.I.A. would put out a pseudo self-titled affair, which shows her rewriting the very notion of how a pop song is supposed to sound, complete with a noisy, industrial makeover.

Judging from the YouTube explosion cover art and the fact that Maya starts off with the sound of someone typing on a computer and proceeds to namedrop the words "internet" and "iPhone" on "The Message," it's clear that this is an album for the internet savvy. Olds need not pay attention. Not that it matters, because I can't think of many people born after 1975 that would really enjoy listening to the buzzsaw sound effects on "Steppin Up," or M.I.A.'s lyrical refrain that actually rhymes "rub-a-dub-a-dub" with "sub-a-sub-a-sub." The internet influence continues on "XXXO," which references tweeting and iPhones again, and shows off M.I.A.'s singing voice instead of her usual rapping. It's the poppiest song she's ever written and while it's not bad, the polished pop still sounds a little out of place amongst the more noise-heavy tracks.

Thankfully, things pick up with the glitchy dancefloor thriller, "Teqkilla," the understated politically-charged pop of "Lovalot," the reggae vibes of "It Takes A Muscle," and the car crash on speed (with a Suicide sample!) hooks of "Born Free." It may take several listens to truly understand what exactly M.I.A. was going for with Maya, but it's definitely worth taking the time to immerse yourself in this album.

DOWNLOAD: Link Removed Per Label Request [Interscope]
Recommended Tracks: "Teqkilla," "Lovalot," "Born Free," "Meds and Feds," "Space."