‘At the End of The River’ finds Cajun aficionados, The Revelers in fine form. It’s the third long player from a band who have built up their sound by combining Zydeco with Americana, Blues and 50’s Pop. Based in Louisiana and featuring vocals in both French and English the band describe themselves as being dedicated to the holy trinity of Cajun culture: hot music, all-night dancing, and great food. But, what makes the band really stand out from their contemporaries is the way they eagerly explore and integrate the aforementioned musical genres into their own music.
As saxophonist and arranger Chris Miller enthuses:
“This is our arrival record, this band started by searching for a sound that incorporated a lot of ideas. Now the process of writing songs is a much more cohesive process. We know what the Revelers sound is!”
Blake Miller’s French lyrics are highlighted on the dreamy ‘Quand Ton Amante (Voudrais Quitter)‘ and ‘Bague Diamente’, both providing proof, if it were ever required, that the French language sounds beautiful when put to music. ‘Please Please’ and ‘Who Who Yeah You’ with their fat horn sounds, melodic guitars and catchy rhythms evoke hints of Stax Records. Both delivered here with a generous helping of swirling Cajun accordion playing.
‘You’re not to Blame’ and ‘She’s a Woman’ steer the band into classic foot tapping Americana territory while the undisputed highlight of the record is without doubt the delightfully mournful ‘I wouldn’t do That to You’. A Blues based piece that showcases some masterful guitar work from Chas Justus. Throw in a melancholy brass section combined with devastating fiddle work by Daniel Coolik, underpinned by Blake Miller’s slow burning accordion, mixed with some cautionary lyrics and a classic is born.
‘At the End of The River’ is a great piece of work that utilises the talents of the very fine musicians who contributed to it, and through that contribution they’ve further evolved the musical genre made famous by the late Clifton Chenier and taken it to a new level.
‘At the End of The River’ is released on November 8th and is available to pre-order via the band’s website.