Kevin Naquin’s previous two albums, 2014’s No Guarantees and 2018’s Man in the Mirror were somewhat progressive as various songs from the canon of American popular music were fused with his Cajun accordion. Since Mirror, Naquin’s last remaining grandfather Herman Deshotel passed away, which conjured memories of playing traditional favorites at family gatherings. That led to the realization that being a cultural preservationist took priority over keeping pace with his envelope-pushing contemporaries.

Hence, the new band incarnation, Cajun Preservation, represents this shift in artistic direction. (Naquin’s longstanding Ossun Playboys still exists with most of the same members). The electric guitar and full drum set are replaced by Cameron Fontenot’s acoustic rhythm guitar and Blasien LeBlanc playing only a snare with brushes for a softer, steady pulse. Jimmy Hebert still plays electric bass, but in a simpler, straightforward manner, emulating the tone of the upright, doghouse variety. Naquin’s accordion doesn’t overshadow the arrangements, as you might expect in an unplugged setting, but it fits in perfectly with impressive, masterful ornamentation. On seven cuts, Fontenot seconds Beau Thomas for some satiable twin fiddle rides.

Based on this iconic song selection, Deshotel and Naquin’s paternal grandfather, George “Bee” Naquin (1929-2013), obviously cherished Lawrence Walker, Iry LeJeune, Belton Richard, and Shirley Bergeron. Still, there’s even a deeper, familial connection. Great-grandfather Hadley Fontenot recorded “Voyage d’amour” (“My True Love”) with the Balfa Brothers and is famous for performing with them. Other Balfa selections are “Quand J’étais pauvre” (“When I Was Poor”) and the majestically rendered “J’aimerais de pardonner” that basks in pristine beauty.

For the most part, Naquin stays true to the arrangements’ instrumental side but added three-part harmonies, which work well. Hebert sings bass and Leblanc sings above Naquin, who’s smack dab in the middle. To make his contribution to the tradition, Naquin wrote the scootin’ instrumental “Hard Naq’s Special” that finds Thomas and Fontenot briefly hanging on a note during their ride before Naquin’s energy-injecting key modulation. It’s hard to imagine a better performance and reverence for tradition than what’s presented here.