Steve Riley slips between English and French as
easily as his music slips in and out of country, rock and Cajun. With the Mamou
Playboys, a swinging band whose beat has been honed at countless dance halls,
Riley encompasses the sonic history of Louisiana's bayou country—and then some.
Grand Isle includes some old-style
Cajun lamentations along with songs that walk a wobbly line between zydeco and
alt rock. There is even an Edith Piaf cover, sounding like the Little Sparrow
by the neon light of a honky-tonk. Enhancing the warmth of the band's sound is
its preference for recording with vintage microphones, tube amplifiers and
reel-to-reel tape.
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