Latest releases reviewed

LOS DE ABAJO LDA V The Lunatics Real World  ***

Imagine The Specials AKA meet The Pogues and take on a Mexican guise and you have some idea of this robust and energetic outfit's style. Ska riffs and Pogueish refrains are just two of the influences at play on this colourful album; there is also triphop, soul and rap, and all is channelled through LDA's confident and contemporary take on Mexican culture with Tiquana horns and flying accordion vying with DJ scratching. The energy level is high, as is the band's inventiveness. Except for a soft centre when the pace slackens for a couple of tracks, this is compelling stuff - brash, creative and lots of fun. There are 13 tracks plus two excellent bonus cuts; you'll get a fine sampling of what's to come with the openers, Resistencia and a cover version of Fun Boy Three's The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum). www.losdeabayo.com Joe Breen

CHEIKH LO Lamp Fall World Circuit ***

Five years ago it seemed Senegalese maverick Cheikh Lo had the world at his feet: He had just recorded a brilliant second album and praise flowed freely in his direction. His search for inspiration for Lamp Fall led to recording sessions in Dakar, London and Bahia, and the styles include reggae, jazz, funk, flamenco, Congolese rumbas, Cuban guajiras and Brazilian rhythms. But Cheikh Lo's moody magnificence is often lost in this cosmopolitan mix, as his restless muse pulls him hither and thither. That said, when he finds the right groove (Senegal-Bresil, Sante Yalla), we are reminded just how good he can be, but a funkmeister he ain't. www.worldcircuit.co.uk Joe Breen