The thirteen tracks on Dans Les Airs capture all these aspects, traversing ground from traditional to original music, from high-stepping, fast-paced work to haunting reflective tunes and back again. If you're not familiar with Quebecois music, this would be a fine place to start; imagine a Scottish country dance meets a Bluegrass jam session at a pub along the coast of Brittany, and you've sort of got it.

Olivier Demers, who plays mandolin and guitar, adds some of the traditional foot-tapping percussion, and sings, wrote the quiet instrumental "Petit Reve III." Nicholas Boulerice combined new tune with a traditional one as a lullaby for his young son in "Les Larmes Yeux." His primary instrument is the hurdy gurdy. Often found in the music of Quebec, this is also called the wheel fiddle, and that's what it looks like. In Quebecois music it holds a place somewhere between a fiddle and a bagpipe.

"Rosette" is a very French-infused traditional song that shows the band's energy and ensemble skills. Each of the men is a singer and throughout the disc they've much to offer in harmony and in solo work. Simon Beaudry adds distinctive guitar style to the work and Réjean Brunet is a triple threat on bass, accordion, and piano as the song requires, as well adding his voice to the singing. These men clearly take joy in their musical journey and they share it well though this recording.

-by Kerry Dexter