Voyageurs

Steve Riley is one of Cajun music's foremost accordionists and bandleaders: the Mamou Playboys have, under his leadership, developed into a band who have pushed Cajun music forward and, through their energy and touring, taken it to much of the world. Riley is a consummate artist in the sense that he never rests on his laurels, always making sure he and his Playboys deliver to the maximum degree. Which is to say that Voyageurs is a fine album, with the band playing intense, stripped-down Cajun music. New member, fiddler Kevin Wimmer, makes his presence felt on ‘Allons Boire un Coup’ with intense, harmonic lines (and two original compositions) while guitarist Sam Broussard delivers edgy, intelligent licks that complement the folkloric nature of the music. Cajun tunes by the likes of Boozoo Chavis and Dennis McGee are tackled with glee and the band play with a lean intensity. All that's missing is a sense of surprise: some outstanding new songs or novel arrangements of old. In the context of Riley's long career, this is not a great album, but it is still a good one.