Six years ago, Fred Charlie acquired Raceland musician Pott Folse’s recording equipment to record his own songs. In between, the Acadiana Records label was born, a recording studio was built, moved, and built again, and many artists have recorded their own projects in downtown Eunice.

Finally, after all this, Charlie got around to doing what he originally intended to do- record his own material, which is the result here. The album’s opener, “300 Years” was a top ten finalist in the Congress Mondial Franco Fête song contest and will be included on an upcoming commemorative CD along with songs from Jimmy C. Newman, Jo-El Sonnier and others. Just as “300 Years” and the cover’s five flags (France, Canada, USA, Louisiana, Acadiana) symbolize the Cajun journey, the rest of the album is a similar examination of Charlie’s own journey.

Ten tracks come from previous projects but were re-recorded in the new digs. As it turns out, many of these songs like “Brailles Pas Mon Ami,” the portrayal of a disillusioned Vietnam veteran, or “The Good Times Are Killing Me” that features superb accordion rides from Jason Babineaux, are enjoying a second life. Other tunes offer interesting cultural insights. “Cajun American” addresses how Charlie’s generation was raised speaking French but their kids were not, while “Life of the Cajun” covers the work hard, play hard lifestyle.

Charlie’s singing is fairly Cajun country hard core but the band’s solid playing exudes a prime time Saturday night feel- meaning it’s hardly a Monday morning disc if you’re still recovering from the weekend.