The days of singing about the hardscrabble life made famous by many a bluesman are over, so why keep reinventing the same wheel? At least that’s the credo of Brother Dege, who offers an updated perspective of the age-old Delta blues. Compared to the mammoth sound production of his Lafayette electric-rock groups Santeria and Black Bayou Construkt, here Dege works in an austere one-man band setting reminiscent of his inspirations. After that, it’s his own game: one slide-stinging dobro and a helluva stomping foot.

But abstract, highly interpretive lyrics are really what’s on tap. A few are obvious, such as the bombastic Katrina ode “The Battle of New Orleans,” but most leave a lot to be interpreted (“The Girl Who Wept Stones”). One theme that isn’t left to the imagination is Dege’s obsession with death. In many cases, it’s not meant as something sinister or morose but something necessitating acceptance (“Black is the Night”). Folk Songs of the American Longhair is unusual enough not to garner widespread appeal, but those willing to step into its abyss will likely reap its rewards.