Album Review: Devil Makes Three - Spirits

The Devil Makes Three

Spirits

***and1/2 out of *****

The Devil Makes Three have not released an album of new studio material since 2018's Chains Are Broken and a lot has happened in the world since then. Their eighth studio offering, Spirits is the groups solid return to form as the band stripped down to their roots and let their blend of Americana, country, bluegrass, folk, punk and jazz flow through thirteen stout tracks. 

The group for this record consists of Pete Bernhard – Composer, Fender Jazz Bass, Guitar, Lead Vocals, MorganEve Swain – Bass, Backing Vocals and Cooper McBean – Fender Jazz Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals. Main songwriter Bernhard dealt with the loss of his mother, brother and dear childhood friend in a short time and these songs are unblinking in addressing death, drugs, suffering and surviving. 

There isn't a lot of subtle nuance here as the band is direct lyrically and musically. Opener "Lights On Me" sets that tone with ominous strings, acoustic guitar picking and lyrics that deal with dying and the great beyond as the bands hybrid of bluegrass/folk rolls along.  

Ghosts and drugs are a reoccurring them throughout the aptly named Spirits as Bernhard sings about them around Stefan Amidon's shuffling drums and upbeat guitars on "Ghosts Are Weak", during the smokey blues rock of the title track, and the old-timey shuffle of the twangy "Half As High". The best of these is the band's first single from the record that directly (and humorously) deals with addiction as Bernhard delivers "I Love Doing Drugs" with charm and whimsy. 

The current modern world with inflation and political strife/division is addressed during "Hard Times" which focuses on banjo playing and these dark days, while the bass takes lead on the more upbeat "The Devil Wins" but even when things are bumping along, death is never far from the groups thoughts. 

When The Devil Makes Three gets slower and more serious, like on the foreboding and depression laced "The Dark Gets The Best Of You", things aren't as successful, the more light hearted touch of the band's style works better even when covering serious topics. When they shift musical gears on the outlier "Poison Well", which feels as if Paul Simon took a vacation to a Caribbean island, things improve immensely.  

For the majority of Spirits though the band directly deals with death and drugs in their own sure footed mannerr, wrapping things up by returning to the theme on the finale "Holding On" which adds some weeping strings to the mix. It is clear the band is trying to keep on truckin' the best way they know how and Spirits is a strong addition to The Devil Makes Three's ongoing discography. 

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