If you weren’t too hung over and bleary-eyed from this year’s New Year’s Eve Celebration, you might have witnessed Sean Ardoin’s “Mardi-Gras-on-steroids” performance at the Rose Bowl Parade New Year’s morning. What a way to kick off another activity-packed year, which includes Ardoin launching his signature brands of coffee. It also marks the multi-Grammy nominee’s 25th Anniversary as a solo artist. Ardoin recorded 25 Back To My Roots that consists of eight originals co-written and mostly co-produced with his talented son Sean Ardoin II to commemorate the quarter-of-a-century milestone.

Sean Ardoin dubs it his “return to his roots” project. It’s all Zydeco, which Ardoin was weaned on in his father Lawrence’s family bands, as opposed to his christened genre, Kreole Rock and Soul. Ardoin defines Kreole Rock and Soul as zydeco at its core but mixed with a broader palette of popular influences to lure listeners deeper into zydeco and Creole culture.

Despite being a return-to-roots affair, Ardoin’s flavor of zydeco this time is not a flashback to an earlier era of a long and illustrious career, but his interpretation of modern zydeco. The emphasis is not on accordion dexterity, propulsive bass lines, or relentless rubboard rhythms but on vocals. While Ardoin sings lead, Sean II’s lush, breezy background vocals weave in and around his father’s vocals. The background vocals are not only impressive but uplifting.

Additionally, the proceedings have a natural, positive vibe. Most songs are either about the various facets of love (“Solid,” “Queen”) or professing a love for zydeco, like the infectious “I Go Where the Zydeco Goes.” With its great vocal hook, “Oh Oh Oh Oh” plops you smack dab in the club as Ardoin serves as your instructor on the zydeco slide line dance. It also has some of the best lines of the entire enchilada like “Rocking to the rhythm of my zydeco/ Listen to the music and let it take control.”

“Mon Ti Bogue” is the only track reminiscent of Ardoin’s early musical upbringing. The Creole French-language song salutes his late father, Lawrence Ardoin, with a clever blend of Lawrence’s older Creole style and Ardoin’s modern approach.

“I Don’t Want You No More” finds Ardoin and gang jamming on a killer groove. Unfortunately, the song ends too soon, like the rest of this. Still, that’s a good sign because it leaves you wanting more. Ardoin’s latest release is easily among his best and not a failed experiment.

25 Back To My Roots was nominated in the Regional Roots category, earning Ardoin his fifth Grammy nomination.

Sean Ardoin