Photo by Elena Ricci
New Orleans has long been a place where American music can go and let its hair down a little bit. There aren’t a lot of genre constraints in the Crescent City; everything gets gumboed by the city’s mix of jazz, R&B, blues, zydeco, and funk. Though country music in Louisiana has long stayed in the western bayous, recent artists like Hurray For The Riff Raff and the Deslondes are bridging the cajun with the creole.
The latter band features four singers and five songwriters, making for an all-encompassing listen on their self-titled debut. Honky-tonk signifiers like pedal steel and fiddle dance with boogie-woogie piano rolls. Rock-and-roll lurks at the edge of this mix, but the Deslondes’ collective drawl keeps the vibe easygoing. “The Real Deal” particularly feels like a trip to New Orleans: boozy, a little lost, but fun as hell. Download the song below.
–Art Levy
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