It's hard not to keep lookin' up with music as buoyant and infectious as the Crawdaddies' (http://www.headonentertainment.com) strange brew of zydeco, country, reggae, and alternative rock. Formed in the mid-'90s, the Crawdaddies have the chemistry of seasoned vets but the merciless energy of young pups bursting from the cage.
The Crawdaddies' latest album is pedal-to-the-floor party music, as tasty as hot chocolate and invigorating like a shot of hard liquor. Oddly enough, for a group that is so rambunctious, there is a surprising amount of warmth on this record. In a way, the Crawdaddies recall NRBQ. Like NRBQ, the Crawdaddies groove to an eclectic heart, giddily unafraid of genre clashing in the same song but achieving that with a generous amount of soul.
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"Tout Le Nuit Danse (Dance All Night)" is a blast of swinging accordions and feel-good vibes. On "Free Man," the Crawdaddies perk up a ska beat with those wonderfully spirited accordions that complement, and not dominate, the rhythm section.
On the hilarious "My Old Heart" and "Jive Time Farmer," the Crawdaddies take a classic country approach without looking like a joke; these lads are authentic roots rockers even when they have tongue firmly placed in cheek.
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