By the age of four, zydeco prodigy Chris Ardoin had already figured out several tunes on accordion. By the age of ten, he was featured on his father’s Lawrence Ardoin and Lagniappe Maison de Soul record. A few years later the Lake Charles phenom teamed up with his older brother Sean for the first of several well-received nouveau zydeco discs. Last year the brotherhood partnership was amicably dissolved as the two opted to pursue their individual musical directions. In many ways, the 19-year-old’s sixth recording overall is a pivotal one, symbolizing the artist standing at the crossroads with his future ahead of him. It gives the world a glimpse if the grandson of Creole accordionist “Bois Sec” Ardoin can step up and lead the way.

The short of it all is that Ardoin doesn’t disappoint. While Sean’s conviviality is noticeably absent, that absence doesn’t deter from these proceedings. Track after track, the accordion whiz kid puts on the show, pumping out endless sequences of innovative and improvised riffs—flying up and down the scales while hammering out barrages of squealy high notes along the way. There’s less bass and drums in the mix than usual, which emphasizes Ardoin’s masterful techniques. Instead, the wider mid-range works to the benefit of rhythm guitarist Nat Fontenot as well as the band’s other guitarist, (surprise!) Ardoin as heard in the left channel. (Fontenot is on the right.)

While there’s no doubt this half of the Lake Charles Connection is among the richest accordionists in the land, Ardoin’s originals, ten all together, are sleekly sophisticated. They’re not thrown together duct-tape jobs but are carefully thought out and fitted together. Add the fact that the Double Clutchin’ band plays as one seamless, integrated unit, you have to wonder if this is the beginning of another Ardoin dynasty.