Inherent Joy in The Face of Suffering

On Grand Isle, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys blend swamp rock grooves, ’80s synth-pop, and a dash of grunge, with traditional melodies. The result? Accessible Cajun dance music, plain and simple. While there’s the occasional slow turn, most of the disc is upbeat two-step and jitterbug tunes. The exuberance belies the fact that the disc was recorded shortly after the BP oil spill in 2010, which had not only ecological repercussions, but also threatened the economy of the Gulf Coast.

That fact lurks not far beneath the surface throughout the disc, from the cover art depicting damage from the spill to several tracks that celebrate Gulf Coast locales. In the midst of the calamity, the inherent joy in the face of suffering comes through, something fiddler David Greely calls the “magic ingredient” that anchors all Cajun music.

Rather than focus on the negative, the Playboys literally turn mourning into dancing with tunes like “Chatterbox,” a rocker about a funeral in Eunice, Louisiana. The band runs roughshod over Cajun stylings, using monotony to great effect. Here the band is joined by Quintron, the guru of swamp-tech, on his modified Hammond B-3 and “Drum Buddy.” The tune is an anomaly even on this disc, with its psychedelic lyric and insistent, rave-worthy percussion powered by the Drum Buddy.

The next cut, “C’est L’heure Pour Changer,” slides between 1980s pop and island grooves. Over a backdrop of bongos and patty-cake handclaps, little other than David Greely’s fiddle keeps it Cajun. Just as naturally, “C’est Ennuyant” brings it back to the Bayou, with a traditional waltz led by Greely. Steve Riley rumbles low on the accordion, adding minimalist flourishes that complement and never compete.

One of the standout tracks is a cover of a 1968 Fats Domino B-side, “Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better.” In a nod to Domino, Jon Cleary adds tinkling piano, while Greely and Riley trade off leads. There’s an evolution of sorts over the course of the album, and this tune delivers the best of what the band has to offer: danceable Cajun tunes informed by rock ‘n’ roll with a modern twist.