BeauSoleil’s fiddlin’ frontman Michael Doucet admits he’s at the point in his life where he can do whatever the hell he wants, hence Lâcher Prise, an intriguing solo project with such kindred spirits as Sarah Quintana (guitar/vocals) and Chad Viator (guitar). Translating as “let it go,” the envelope-pushing set symbolizes total freedom and portrays Doucet as a consummate artist with a musical palette that’s radically different from anything he’s done with BeauSoleil. Doucet wrote six of the ten selections with only the rip-snorting “Marie Catin” resembling BeauSoleil’s trademark sound.

The rest will likely be surprising. Boozoo Chavis’ zydeco staple “Lula Lula Don’t You Go to Bingo” becomes a barreling, fiddle-scorching garage band rocker. At the other end of the spectrum is Doucet’s “Cajun Gypsy,” a multi-movement Cajun chamber concerto performed with Turtle Island String Quartet. Not far behind is “Abandonné” featuring a gorgeous arrangement of feathery guitar picking, lilting fiddle lines and ethereal female vocals.

Some originals are in English. The haunting “Walking on a Mardi Gras Day” conjures images of a dejected soul plodding along amidst a chaos-filled crowd on a foggy, drizzling day. Though “Water, Water” has deceivingly amusing lines, it’s really a thought-provoking “environmental wake-up call.” At song’s end, Doucet delivers the ultimate zinger: “American reign drowning out the French.”

Indeed, the song selection is varied. There’s “He’s Got All the Whiskey” from Louisiana’s iconic Bobby Charles and “Bad Woman” from calypso pianist Lionel Belasco. A traditional tune from the Lomax Archives “Chère Emelie” sounds how it may have in medieval France. Thematically, it’s conceptually deep but it’s all proof that letting go leads to wondrous things.