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CD Review - Mercredi Soir Passé

By Dan Willging
Off Beat Magazine

Not many 26-year-olds can boast a seven-album discography and a mantle-sagging 14 CFMA awards like Kevin Naquin. His latest is another strong outing in the blood-pumping Cajun dancehall tradition and ranks favorably with his last three releases. But what distinguishes this one is that this is the first time, Naquin has paid homage to a forebearer, great-grandfather/ballad singer Edius Naquin, by lovingly covering the title song. Although Naquin doesn’t attempt a similar, quirky-timing a cappella delivery, the tune still has a haunting tone about it.

But when it comes to that relentless, pile-driving dancehall groove, Naquin and the Ossun Playboys are still hard to beat. Newest member/steel guitar ace Murnel Babineaux helps solidify the attack while Louis Dronet stacks his fiddle rides for a lush twin fiddle effect. The song selection is excellent, ranging from the choppy square rhythms of the Touchet Brothers’ “Old Fashioned Two Step” to Camey Doucet’s “Hold My False Teeth” with its memorable catchphrase ‘Clipity Clip, Clipity Clop, Hipity Hip, Hipity Hop.’ Even the overly familiar (“Bayou Pon Pon,” “Back Door”) work one more time in fine brake-burning style. Also among the booty is “Opelousas Sostan,” the Rufus Jagneaux swamp pop classic, that’s cast here as a ‘hell, yeah!’ honky tonk raveup. Come to think of it, this is one of those ‘hell, yeah!’ kind of records.