At first, it may be hard to digest the wide palette of styles Dennis Stroughmatt paints here on his musical canvas, everything from Missouri Creole fiddle tunes, Louisiana Creole stompers, modern zydeco to dancehall Cajun, swamp pop, blues and even a honky-tonk weeper. But after awhile, it all begins to makes sense. This eclectic treasure trove is actually a manifestation of his musical DNA, which includes a close apprenticeship with Morris and Dexter Ardoin. Stroughmatt’s complex history helps explain his sixth album, which is both a raise-the-bar effort and a retrospective examination of his career.

While Stroughmatt delivers walloping versions of Dewey Balfa’s “Parlez-Nous A Boire” and Boozoo’s “Johnny Billy Goat,” the real accomplishments are the eight, in-the-idiom originals, six of which are in French. The title song could easily pass for a trad Creole fiddle tune, and it addresses his grueling life on the road. Others are more philosophical, including “Jamais Lache Pas” which urges perseverance in pursuit of one’s dreams.

For Stroughmatt, years of unending roads and bleary, bloodshot eyes are now beginning to pay off. If nothing else, he’s sure learned how to make one helluva dance record.