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Label: Bayou Vista Records
If you like: Beausoleil, Anders Osborne
Song to download: “The Gravedigger”
It’s Mardi Gras time, down in Cajun country a time of celebrating, eating, drinking and dancing. Honey Slides, the new album by New Orleans’ Bluesrunners, is a great soundtrack for any Mardi Gras party, or any party in general. The group has been around for years, steadily building a following for its mix of old-time Zydeco and hot-sauce swamp rock. One thing has become clear: Music isn’t something the Bluesrunners make, it is something they live.
Honey Slides offers a nice blend between a traditional Zydeco homage (“Working Man’s Zydeco”) and more ambitious twists on a familiar Cajun theme; “Ghost of a Girl,” with guest vocals by Susan Cowsill, is roots-folk at its melodic best. A lot of different elements are heaped in this gumbo - it’s not hard to hear echoes of Bob Dylan and Hank Sr. in the mix of country music and bayou blues. But in the end, what makes Honey Slides - the title is borrowed from an infamous intoxicant - so delectable is the way that the skillful playing merges with good-time vibes. Havin’ big fun down on the bayou, fer sure.
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