Se Quema el Mundo

LPT are a ten-piece Afro-Cuban band out of Jacksonville, Florida whose 2018 debut album, Sin Parar, won a clutch of awards and marked them out as a force to be reckoned with. LPT’s prolific and high energy touring schedule delivered on that promise, wowing crowds with a brand of conscious salsa fuelled by four horns, a three-piece percussion section, bass, keyboards and impassioned lead vocals courtesy of Josué A Cruz. This fine sophomore effort shows that time spent locked down has only improved the respective players chops: improvised passages feel creative, inspired, the empathy between musicians almost telepathic.

Nine songs by Ángel García take their cue from the album’s title-track, a fast-paced protest tune decrying everything from social media wars to inequality and global warming, while ‘Ya Basta!’ (Enough!) addresses the state of the nation. It’s not all think-while-you dance-style politics: there’s the good natured ‘Se Me Perdio’; the upbeat descarga ‘La Guagua’ and a bolero, ‘Delito’, telling of capricious lovers – a fitting tune for salsa club flirtations. All this, and with a live string section bringing the songs to life – and with mixing and mic-placement spot on. Get your dancing shoes on.