Corbeau

A youthful trio from Prince Edward Island, Jesse Périard (guitar and banjo), Caleb Gallant (cajon, bodhrán and djembé), and Rowen Gallant (violin, and bouzouki) kick up quite a storm on their tremendously enjoyable debut. Their original material positively revels in putting a fresh coat of paint on the tradition. You’d swear that the uplifting ‘Kick the Crow’ is as traditional a tune as the well-known Cajun drinking song ‘Parlez-Nous à Boire’ that follows, but it's the trio's own – as is the story-ballad ‘The Night They Moved the House’, which boasts an infectious hand-clapping chorus.

Boundless energy and enthusiasm is all fine and good, especially in the live setting, where the band have acquired a substantial following. But they’re savvy enough to inject a more reflective note on originals such as ‘The Uniform’, a regretful goodbye from a soldier dying far from home. The overriding impression of this impressive live-sounding album is that these boys just wanna have fun. And they’d love you to join them. Mais oui!