Save yourself some confusion. Don’t think of the Revelers as staunch proponents of any particular genre but rather a synthesis of South Louisiana styles that is uniquely its own. On its third full-length album and easily its best yet, the sextet states that point well with 11 originals that embrace a variety of styles.
Blake Miller wrote the lion’s share with five tunes, with most notably the infectious title track that has all the trappings of being a regional hit. Two fall in the swamp-pop realm, the soft and sensitive “Les blues à Blake” and “La bague diamante,” one of the prettiest poppers ever written. Just when you think the latter has ended, it unexpectedly launches a dreamy outro that flashes you back to that special moment once again.
Still, Miller isn’t without his rollicking humor. On the high octane “Southside Stomp,” he advises never dance with the pretty blonde, which changes to brunette later.
Guitarist/fiddler Daniel Coolik plays a bigger role this time with four originals including the boppy, zydeco-flavored “Please Please, Like We Did Last Summer” and the gale force, horn-powered “Who Who, Yea You.” For “Bonsoir, petite monde,” Coolik adapted lyrics from a Lomax archives song to craft a new melody that’s simultaneously graceful and subtly haunting.
What else makes things exciting is how action-packed the Revelers play. Parts dart in and out, leaving lots of micro-detail to absorb. Even Justus’ country weeper “You’re Not to Blame” finds Miller shading in a Tex-Mex accordion flavor. Killer stuff, to say the least.