LeRoy Thomas, The People’s Favorites of LeRoy Thomas (Independent)

In the competitive world of zydeco, you always have to work an angle. Starting with the cover shot of T-Broussard emerging from a black, stretch limo onto a red carpet while being blinded by the photographing paparazzi, he may have his best gimmick yet. “Super T” is his best song yet, sending himself up as somebody everybody wants to be like, and if that’s not possible, then they want to be part of the entourage.

At the same time, the album is his most adventuresome affair. Though brother Mike’s chiming keyboard chords may be unsettling to some, they’re necessary for the swing tracks and unobtrusive on the zydeco numbers. Broussard will likely garner a few fan-bought shots of Crown on the rocking “Talk to Me Good Whiskey,” while “Show Tyme Biker Boys and Biker Girls” acknowledges a key demographic with an arrangement that alternates between pounding on-beats and syncopated offbeat passages. When Super T becomes Broussard again, he gives a nod to old-time Creole music with “Jennings Two-Step” and “How am I Going to Make It,” an original that follows the melody of “Bon Soir Moreau.”

Though “The People’s Favorite” is Leroy Thomas’ chosen moniker, there is truth in advertising. Over the years, his live shows have consistently been stellar, and he has a reputation for connecting with audiences. Thomas’ latest is a greatest hits package that includes “Right Now is Primetime,” which addresses racial discrimination. “Dark Night in the Morning” jams the hardest, especially with guitarist Sherman Robertson burning a few strings in the process. Thomas wrote everything here with the exception of “La Valse de Preizon” (Canray Fontenot) and “Why You Wanna Make Me Cry,” the signature song of his father Leo “The Bull” Thomas. While the package omits personnel and recording information, it’s still a reminder that when it comes to unvarnished country zydeco, Thomas is one of its finest purveyors.