If everyone were like Horace Trahan, there would be no mold to break. As a teenager, he was heralded as the Second Coming of Iry LeJeune, the accordionist responsible for reviving post-World War II Cajun music. A few years later Trahan crossed over into zydeco, scoring hits with “The Butt Thing” and “High School Breakdown” (reprised here as a lagniappe live cut) and then quit playing publicly with his band. He never quit writing songs, however, and eventually began playing out again, which ultimately led to this, his first disc in 11 years.

It’s best described as uninhibited since Trahan’s approach couldn’t be more honest. A few old-style Cajun-Creole originals emphasize how grounded and technically skilled Trahan is. But at this stage of his career, he’s more about creating a thinking man’s zydeco than succumbing to perceived popular trends. At times, the listen is a personal one with heartfelt messages about love and relationships. Other times it’s quite heady with spiritual and moralistic overtones. Doug Garb’s flute playing gives the otherwise hard-driving “Guilty Till Proven Innocent” an African edge while Trahan delivers such provocative lines as “Well, all of their power, ain’t nothing but a flower / That the lamb will devour.” “Same Knife Cut the Sheep Cut the Goat” (“what are you going to do with that knife at your throat”) comes from an African proverb. Whether it’s the artistically arranged “King of Sand” that features hip-hop beats and angelic background voices or the funny rapper “H.D.T.V.,” it’s a safe bet that this time he only had himself to answer to in the studio. Welcome back, Trahan.