The New Orleans Nightcrawlers, who won a Grammy in 2020 for the album Atmosphere, is back with much of the same drive and spunk along with several unexpected moves.

The opener and title cut has the ’Crawlers kicking hard, propelled by the team of bass drummer Tanio Hingle and snare drummer Kerry “Fatman” Hunter. Sousaphonist Matt Perrine gets things going, providing his usual strong foundation while adding some of his signature flare. The selection was written by Jason Mingledorff, whose saxophone with its modern edge akes the first exciting solo. A solid arrangement sets this tune apart.

It’s fun that the band chose to include a tune from the Iguanas’ songbook, the lively “Para Donde Vas” which is sung in Spanish by guitarist Yusa with Jafet Perez on percussion. The tune’s familiarity stands as a plus and leads well into the sway of “Vibe,” another Mingledorff original. There is an orchestral quality to the way the horns present together, though the sousaphone keeps it out of the concert hall and onto the street. Yes, to the trumpet and trombone trading bars.

“Smooth Like a Pelican” and its album-closing partner “Remix” are the aforementioned unexpected moves. While brass bands and hip-hop artists have joined forces more and more frequently these days, The Nightcrawlers’ sophisticated style doesn’t seem to pair that well with rappers Pell, Alfred Banks, HaSizzle and YGG Tokyo.

On Perrine’s hot tempo “N. Rampart St.,” one can almost see cars flying down the famous, busy boulevard at rush hour. Horns are blowing in the chaos of traffic and the saxophone wails in the middle of the cacophony with the fury of someone late for a date. Wouldn’t want to try to second line on that street right then or at this beat.

On Too Much to Hold, The New Orleans Nightcrawlers continue to excite with its polished yet simultaneously rowdy approach.