For those who first discovered the extraordinary Pedro Luis Ferrer when he released his Rustico album last year, here's another treat. Once again, the delightful and highly eccentric Cuban singer-songwriter matches rousing and sturdy melodies, influenced by different rural Cuban styles, against his uniquely thoughtful, witty, or downright surreal lyrics (translated, for those who don't speak Spanish). The backing is still sparse, with his sturdy voice and the powerfully intense singing of his daughter Lena accompanied by his own playing on the tres (small Cuban guitar) and joined by guitar, percussion and thumb piano.
There's not quite the same degree of social comment as in the last set, but his unlikely songs range from A Ladies' Party, which somehow involves nudity and Martians, through to the story of a one-armed man and a dumb girl, a song that begins "They say tough guys don't eat soup", and such gloriously evocative lyrics as "The air smells like coffee and rain". He deserves a far wider audience.