It's not hard to figure out how or why the amazonian foursome Evangeline's latest endeavor abandons some of the law of hybrid Cajun/contemporary country music promised on their maiden album.

French Quarter Moon was recorded on Jimmy Buffett's label, Margaritaville Records in Nashville as opposed to Key West with fiddle and mandolin player Nancy Buchan along with her diverse influences missing from the lineup. Although Nashville isn't known for its liberal acceptance of progressive country by any stretch of the imagination, Sharon Leger's Cajun moxie, Kathleen Stieffel's pure country vocals, Beth Mckee's ability to sweeten the blues, and Rhonda Lohmeyer's rockish guitar leads manage to let their musical identies come through, albeit somewhat filtered.

While some of the tunes are straight country shooters: "We Will Fly," "I'm Still Loving You," or Beth McKee's "Elvis of the Night," "She's a Wild One" gets your feet stomping with a Cajun-style accordion lick for the intro and slumps into more straight country.

Evangeline does break out of the mold near the album's end with a Cajun/gospel tune and finishes with the acappella "Don't Cross that Bridge," which displays their fine harmonizing talents.

Although the album is good, I hope they shed their Nashville influence and return to their free style of contemporary country.

Reviewer:  Tom Elliott, courtesy of Flash Magazine.