The second recording with this lineup (third overall) from Kyle Huval and the Dixie Club Ramblers would fit well with Cajun recordings from 70 years ago. Huval wrote 11 of these dozen tracks in Cajun French, a prolific quantity not typically seen on new releases. Besides his excellent command of the language, he wrote these originals in the structure of how Cajun songs were written long ago, where they lacked choruses and had only verses.

As a top-flight accordionist, he has the chops to blast off on “Bal de Cajun” and to intimidate on “Montana Two-Step.” Yet, commanding chops is only a fraction of what this is about. Most tracks are slower, stately-rendered waltzes that allow Huval ample space to spin tales of sorrow, infidelity and separation, though not necessarily from his own perspective. The title track, the proceedings’ crown jewel, is definitely from his perspective. It’s about the birth of his son and the realization that the infant won’t be tiny forever.

A few things make this different from the vintage variety. Drums and bass are only used on three tracks, versus every track on other recordings. Yet, the sense of rhythm is never lost. Jo Vidrine keeps the pulse steady with muting barre (choke) chords on acoustic guitar. Steel guitarist Chris Stafford lays down expressive rides, such as “The Way Things Used to Be” and the haunting answer riffs on “Dernière Danse.” A steel guitar sans rhythm section also differs from the classical variety since, historically, they’ve been paired together in a full-band setting.

For “Mardi Gras 1952,” Huval played the role of a folklorist. He interviewed Eugene Manuel, owner of the historic Holiday Lounge in Mamou, to capture a humorous family story at Mardi Gras. Huval plays a portion of the song solo on acoustic guitar, like a singer-songwriter, before the band, including himself on accordion, starts slowly coming in. While it’s definitely a tradition-based recording, Huval still found ways to subtly innovate within the framework without being bound by it.