Though it may seem that way initially, rest assured that Lafayette’s Cajun/alt-country Blue Runners are no different than the kindred spirits they follow. In the ’30s, when the sounds of country and western swing were broadcast across the airwaves, Cajuns adopted them as their own. Decades later, rock ‘n’ roll was embraced as a native son, which also yielded several waves of influence.

A similar thing happened to the Blue Runners when they bumped into alt-country bands Uncle Tupelo and Blue Mountain during their frequent Oxford, Mississippi gigs. Since then, they have astutely fused cow punk stylings such as twangy textures, fuzzed-back guitars and a scruffy attitude with a heartfelt Cajun cultural taproot.

While a handful of songs (“On and On,” “Burn Up The Night”) are English sung, they’re not devoid of any Cajun identity, especially the latter featuring Adrian Huval’s adaptive accordion playing. A couple more (“Cankton,” “Home”) would find themselves comfortable in any Americana setting. The other seven French morsels lyrically resemble the short, to-the-meat stanzas sung by the ancients and are authentic enough to fit in any era.

Some, like the rock blitzkrieg of “Grand Chenier” and the tranquil “Le Grand Bleu,” are the French counterpart of their alt-country cousins, traditional in lyrics but utilizing the “No Depression” style of arrangement. The band’s gritty tenor Mark Meaux crafts solid songs in both genres and as a result, this unparalleled combination finds them forging new trails altogether.

Yet, the Cajun taproot burrows deep and there is plenty of swirling fais-do-do fare here with “Vein Donc,” Huval’s “Tout Ca Qui Reste” and Moise Robin’s “Happy Rabbit.” Fiddler Michael Doucet and slide guitarist Sonny Landreth guest on two tracks while Runner alumni Steve LeBlanc plays either fiddle and/or drums on all tracks.

Instead of being back porch music, this is music hammered out in the garage, with the Blue Runners being the quintessential Cajun garage band. Just don’t step on that rake.