Hot Zone

Ultimate Party: Pump Me Up, the debut of Krosfyah, a soca band from Barbados, is the largest-selling album in the soca/calypso genre to date, and their third album, Hot Zone, continues their winning streak. Filled with sweeter, softer, rhythms than Trinidadian soca, this album blends the fire and energy of Carnival with touches of soul. One thing that makes the band stand out is that they don't just focus on party themes, which is usually the emphasis for most soca music -- they explore topics such as loneliness on the road and religious freedom. With "Appetite," the contagious opening track; "Sarah," a well-crafted political tune; "Woody Woodpecker," with its requisite, sly sexual innuendo; and "Love Walks Alone," an achingly beautiful ballad, Krosfyah covers all the bases, and way beyond.