Feufollet aren't Cajun traditionalists -- rather they are hybrids sprung from Cajun traditions and raised in the modern world who are circling back not only to rediscover their heritage, but bring it back into the world they live in. In this respect, they might commit a slow, traditional number like "Chere Bebe Creole" with a lilting double fiddle, but damned if they don't add mellotron to the arrangement. It's an eerie and ethereal effect, an aural presence that hangs over singer Anna Laura Edmiston's earnest delivery.

Elsewhere, Feufollet tear up the joint with pounding, accordion-driven rockers like "Prends Courage" and "Madame Bosso." The album standout, "Femme L'a Dit," is a remarkably effective hybrid, adding both big band jazz element to the sound that brings to mind music scenes far beyond the Louisiana confines of the band's heritage. With hefty Dixieland bravado at the end, the track meshes the Cajun element with another of Louisiana's great gifts to the world and effectively seals the deal for Feufollet's creative promise. This is Cajun music that happens to be great -- this is great music that happens to be Cajun.

-- by John Mitchell