The fiddler and singer from the Lost Bayou Ramblers has released another solo album. Unlike his first, which was a veritable feast of Louisiana music that featured scads of guests and shifted gears almost endlessly, this is a spare, intimate set that rarely moves past Michot's voice, fiddle and guitar.

Louis Michot Seauxleaux (Nouveau Electric)

Recorded live with very few overdubs (if any), this one-eighty in style nevertheless fits perfectly within Michot's musical world. I have heard only a handful of albums that even attempt such a bare-bones approach to recording and production, and Michot is one of the few who has both the musical gifts and distinctive voice to carry it off.

I suspect even Ramblers fans might be shocked at the complete lack of largesse. But even the moments where he steps out just a bit (as on the delta blues-infused, acoustic kinda-rap "Boscoyo Fleau") are equally compelling for his restraint. Michot never sounds like he's straining against restrictions. He sounds completely at home in this insular world.

His first album was a risky endeavor. This one jumps off a cliff without a parachute. Doesn't matter. Michot's confident hand ensures a satisfying landing. Wherever he goes, wonder follows.

Jon Worley