Just before Dikki Du’s last album, Make It Funky, hit the streets, the Florida-bound band experienced a fatal car wreck that claimed the lives of drummer Brad Gilbeau and guitarist Bobby Jackson. Human lives can never be replaced, but the catastrophe also set back Dikki, a.k.a. Troy Carrier, with an endless rotation of personnel that he has only recently been able to stabilize.

Straighten It Out documents the live show reasonably well. Before most songs, Dikki provides a spoken introduction that nudges this studio recording into being as live as possible. Some tunes are funny; others, like the banter about pretty women being everywhere besides “Dog Hill” are guaranteed to win over a party-thirsty crowd. The Krewe gets their jangly groove thing going, especially on “Dikki Du Two-Step” and “Carrier Family Jam.” The latter features a triple accordion shootout between Dikki, papa Roy and bro Chubby. Overall, good, but Straighten It Out could use another barnburner to close out this baker’s dozen. Yet as Dikki sings about his contemporaries rising to the top and hints his turn is soon, the lasting impression is what counts: the comeback mission has been accomplished.
-Dan Willging

Zydeco music runs in Louisiana’s Carrier family and it runs deep. 
Accordionist Troy Carrier, AKA "Dikki Du," is the younger brother of 
nationally known Zydeco speedster Chubby Carrier and son of 
neo-traditionalist Roy Carrier. Before stepping out on his own, Troy 
paid his dues on washboard and drums in Roy’s and Chubby’s family 
bands. The apprenticeship paid off as The Way It Is is a decent first 
outing. The Crew runs at a breakneck pace with highly revved rhythms 
and even attempts to start a new dance - you guessed it - the Dikki 
Du. Among the bright spots are a catchy cover of "Iko Iko," "Zydeco 
Iko Iko," and the title song that mentions Chubby teaching the 
accordion. Zydeco dancers will love this one.