Valcour Records’ second installment of the Rediscovering Lomax in the Evangeline Country series is a not-so-subtle reminder of just how incredibly complex the Lomax Archives really are. Luckily, these quarterly-released, six-song chestnuts can be thought of as sonic CliffsNotes since field recordings are more likely to appeal to a vested few rather than the average listener.

Thematically, the proceedings are divided into life’s essential chapters: love and death. There’s the anticipation of death on “When I Die,” an African-American spiritual transformed into a hellbent swamp gospel rocker sung by Marc Broussard and fueled by Roddie Romero’s wicked slide guitar work. There’s also those staring it in the eye, like the prisoner on the bluesy “Viens Donc T’assis sur la Croix de ma Tombe,” sung by folklorist Barry Ancelet, who’s accompanied by acoustic guitarist/co-producer Joel Savoy.

Love and death intersect best on “Amour et Fanatisme.” Originally sung a cappella by a male vocalist, co-producer Josh Caffery rearranged it into operatic male-female dialogue between a Muslim solider (Carl Brazell) and his Christian lover (Claire Caffery) as the solider leaves for battle. Elsewhere, Anna Laura Edmiston enchants on “Les Amours et les Beaux Jours” in a quasi-chamber orchestra setting. A prototype country ballad, the lovely “L’amour Qui M’a Séduit le Coeur” features a Maybelle Carter–style guitar accompaniment. Appreciation of this disc is perhaps best realized by referring to the liner notes and Josh Caffery’s book Traditional Music in Coastal Louisiana, but on its own, it’s still quite precious.