Pine Leaf Boys: Danser

Pine Leaf Boys
Danser
(Valcour)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

If you’re not from Louisiana, you might know the Pine Leaf Boys from their appearances on Treme, HBO’s musical series bout life in New Orleans’ Treme neighborhood that has already managed to kill off Steve Earle and John Goodman and still be fascinating. Louisiana natives know the four-time Grammy-nominated Boys from their dance hall dominance, promoting Cajun chanky-chank/crippled pony-steppin’ music of the first order.

It’s not necessary to speak the language to enjoy this stuff. Even when the boys are wailing in French, The Leaf Boys’ fire and passion grabs you by the head and feet and won’t let go.

Frontman/accordionist/vocalist Wilson Savoy, fiddler/vocalist Courtney Granger and drummer/ vocalist Drew Simon are spotlit the most because of their strong vocal presence. But this is an ensemble cast, a tight-knit unit that can rock your ass off one minute and break your heart the next without losing your attention for a second. The band’s chief assets are their commanding stage presence and their willingness and ability to expose their roots in a way that’s as moving as it is entertaining, welding the past and future of Cajun music together seamlessly.

Danser is the 5th studio release for the eight year old band and the second for Valcour records, founded in ’06 by Savoy’s fiddler brother Joel. You’re a goner from the second you put this thing on. Even though they throw in a change of pace regularly, the Boys just don’t let up in intensity, whether rocking your world with a sweaty two step or gliding you smoothly through it with a waltz.

“La Vie est Courte” ( life is short) kicks off the record with Savoy’s bouncy accordion and Grangers infectious fiddling making it impossible to keep still. Cajun accordion legend Belton Richard is obviously a big influence. Three of his songs are featured the lively two stepping Pour Toi et Juste Pour Toi (For you and just for you) and two slower ones: “You Cant Take My Wife,” sung in English, and “Mother’s Bouquet,” in French, the tune similar to Jim Reeves’ “Don’t Let Me Cross Over Love’s Cheatin’ Line.”

The band takes on George Jones’ ’72 cry in your beer masterpiece “A Picture Of Me Without You” and knocks it out of the park, swooping and wailing like Jones at his lowest best.

Chuck Willis’ ’58 swamp pop classic “What Am I Livin’ For” is spiced up a bit with some Cajun fiddle crying softly in the background then Cajun fried on the chorus with some greasy guitar from Jon Bertrand.

Fiddle legend Dewey Balfa gets a nod on his Cajun sizzler ’87’s “Quand J’etais Pauvre”(when I was poor), sure to fill up dance floors every time it comes up in the rotation.

As long as they continue to release material like Danser, you’ll never have to worry about the Pine Leaf Boys’ letting you down. The only problem is that they’ll surely wear you out.