It’s hard to argue with Ernie K-Doe, the self-anointed “Emperor of the Universe” who once proclaimed that this country’s music only stems from Louisiana and Mississippi, with everything else being derivative. That would include Bogue Chitto (“Big River” in Choctaw), the namesake of the Pearl River tributary, a Mississippi county and now this funky Crescent City acoustic band. Though Bogue Chitto’s eponymously titled EP is not indigenous Choctaw music, songwriter John DePriest does sprinkle in the occasional reference to pay homage to his heritage, as heard on “Panola Blues.” Panola means cotton, and the edgy story-song tells the plight of a farmer now serving time for murder and picking cotton as hard labor at Parchman prison farm in Mississippi.

Having relocated to “Bulbancha” (Choctaw for New Orleans) from Possum Town, Mississippi, DePriest is also a product of his modern-day surroundings where funky rhythms rule the street. He often plays acoustically—slinky, stuttery rhythms on guitar and banjo that serve as the backbone of his story-centric and somewhat humorous originals. “Louisiana Outdo” is about a weed farmer transporting his greenish gold in crawfish sacks while keeping an eye on the threatening Barataria competition. “Churchill Downs,” the only tune closest to full-bore bluegrass, finds a seersucker, bourbon-sloshed protagonist losing everything at the track while having a grand time.

The Allen Toussaint-penned, Lee Dorsey-popularized “Working in the Coal Mine” is the lone cover and an alternative rendition, like the rock band Devo’s version but with less electricity consumption.

For aspiring string wizards, DePriest’s flatpicking is something to take note of. Besides engineering these proceedings, Mike Harvey has occasional abstract fiddle licks that are all too brief. While it’s an EP of only five tracks, there’s still enough here until the next time the barge floats down the big river.