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 countryand 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.
