Review: BARACHOIS Naturel
Kerry Dexter , Dirty Linen Magazine: October/November '02, Tallahassee, FL It's a lively outing from the Canadian quartet Barachois. Its third CD captures all of the energy, some of the outrageous fun, the fine musicianship, and ensemble playing of the group's live performance. Through all those elements, what is distilled most distinctly, however, is the group's Acadian identity. The four players (all named Arsenault, although only two are related: brother and sister Albert Arsenault and Helene Arsenault-Bergeron, Louise Arsenault, and Chuck Arsenault) offer nine studio cuts ranging from traditional jigs and reels, ballads, and story songs to a very Acadian take on Paul Simon's "The Boxer" to a tribute to that other stream of Acadian music, a medley of Cajun tunes by Dewey Balfa and Nathan Abshire. There are also three songs recorded live, including a jig set in which some of the group's off-the-wall humor shines through. The final track is an interesting re-creation, of sorts, of the kind of Acadian house party in the kitchen from which this tradition sprang and in which it is still nurtured. Tapes of family members from whom the Arsenaults learned to play as children are interwoven with the musicians' own lively present-day contributions. It's an engaging record that displays the variety of talents in this popular group. They sing in French; English translations of lyrics and liner notes are provided also. |