Disconnected in New York City

Last December, Los Lobos played a three-night residency at NYC’s intimate City Winery. These normally plugged-in Los Angeleno rockers were captured in acoustic guitar mode. Most of this set stems from the relatively recent 15-year past of a combo that’s celebrating its 40th anniversary. The all-acoustic setting doesn’t defuse the stinging soloing power or riffing drive, with subtle pedal effects adding bite to the three acoustic axes. The Spanish-language songs tend to be the most emotive and individualist. Out come the accordion and cuatro, with ‘Chuco’s Cumbia’, ‘Venganza’ and ‘Maria Christina’ being amongst the many highlights. The only dips arrive briefly during the ballads, ‘Tears of God’ and ‘Little Things’, although the latter is redeemed by its organ swirl. The recent ‘Tin Can Trust’ stands proudly amongst the older works.

David Hidalgo and César Rosas trade scalding licks, whilst Steve Berlin’s belligerent baritone saxophone parries with whichever guitar happens to be spotlighted. The rabid crowd could be higher in the mix, particularly during the singalong medley of ‘La Bamba/Good Lovin’, but this is a ripping document of a band revelling in the close proximity of their audience.