Swamp Gold Country, Vol. 1

A 20-song collection of south Louisiana radio and jukebox hits that are a little too country to be called swamp pop and a little too swampy for mainstream country tastes, Jin Records' Swamp Gold Country, Vol. 1 falls somewhere in the middle in a hybrid that might be termed bayou honky tonk. It is certainly interesting stuff, with a distinct regional flavor. Highlights include Adam Hebert's rough and ragged Cajun approach to "Tomorrow I'll Be Gone," Johnnie Allan's lubricated waltz "Let's Go Get Drunk," Johnny Webb's "Cry, Cry, Cry," and Jim Oliver's Cajun funky "I Love My Saturday Night." Make no mistake, this is a country album, but with a slightly skewed feel, and it has enough swampy bayou trimmings around the edges to make it a unique and special set. ~ Steve Leggett