Ever since Robert Johnson’s immortal “Crossroads Blues,” it’s been part of blues lore to sell your soul for musician stardom. In some ways, zydeco’s Rosie Ledet could have had a similar story. It was only six years ago that she came out of nowhere to become one of the genre’s top artists. She often seems devilish, delightfully and playfully so but regardless, with each release, she grows artistically. Her fifth Maison de Soul outing may be her best yet—if it’s not, it’s certainly the most adventuresome.

Co-producers Morris Ledet (also Ledet’s husband and bassist) and Michael Lachney go all out this time with a bevy of welcomed surprises. Guest guitarist Keith Frank helps out on several tracks and tackles lead on “Try Again.” Li’l Band o’ Gold saxophonist Pat Breaux takes consistently curvy rides as Ed Gore piles on his rolling keyboards with ice-cool chord outlining. And, of course, regular guitarist Kent August plays as hot as his last name. These daring maneuvers are innovative as some tracks straddle genres like the jazz guitar-sax weaving on “So Damn Bad” or the piano boogie-woogie of “Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You” that simultaneously sustains a healthy, underlying dance beat.

In the midst of this is Ledet, the steamy vocalist whose accordion playing is stronger than ever, smooth and refreshingly buoyant. Likewise, her bumper crop of originals, 11 all together, rate high, whether it’s a dance floor hot flash (“Groove Thing”), a Rock ‘N’ Bowl dedication (“String Beans at the Rock ‘N’ Bowl”) or the satisfy-me-challenge of “Bring It Home.” And then there’s the Nonc Helaire number where the odd uncle supposedly makes love wherever he goes. Interestingly enough, like her sophomore release Zesty Zydeco that featured “Dancing with the Devil,” a similar devil theme is explored with “Something Wicked.” Here, Ledet casts such a descriptive image of the fiend, you have to wonder if bluesmen are really the only ones who know their way to the crossroads.