Sounds Like:  A Cajun queen takes a solo spotlight.

For the past ten years or so, I’ve been enamored with the music floating up out of south central Louisiana. Its Cajun, but it’s also so much more, and there is a real community of collaborators that come together for different projects. K.C. Jones has long been a secret weapon for many of these collaborations. With her distinctive voice - a perfect blend of twang and heartache- she can’t help but steal the spotlight.

I first saw her 2013 playing with her current gig in Feufollet. What struck me then and all the times seeing her perform since, is how much of an ensemble player she is at heart. She can step to the mic and tie your heart strings in knots, but she is also willing to sit back with her fiddle in support of the song. Which makes “Queen of the In Between” all that more special — she takes the spotlight and doesn’t let go, and it’s everything I could have hoped for.

This a tough album to categorize, as it’s blurs the lines of genre in favor of the tune. It kind of sits at that crossroads where latter day Lucinda Williams albums are: in touch with it’s roots, but uniquely their own thing, Relaxed and assured. There is an ease to this collection of songs; The album unspools with the effortlessness of a weekend morning.

There are some great full band numbers, like “Fall In Line,”  where she makes the most of her supporting players, but also some beautiful smaller moments where the music is minimal, letting her vocals do the heavy lifting. I love this album, and it’s been one of those records that I find myself going back to, over and over again. K.C. Jones is used to playing many roles as a musician, but as the “Queen of the In Between,” she brings the house down.

Favorite Track: The silky noir of “Bring the House Down” is the album’s anchor, but also “I Didn’t Mean It” is a timeless gem.