The Devil Makes Three - Spirits LP

After seven years of silence, the Californian trio The Devil Makes Three returns with Spirits, an album steeped in raw emotions of loss, grief, and confronting the demons of the past. Since 2002, Pete Bernhard and Cooper McBean have been an inseparable duo, supported by the bass rhythms of Lucia Turino, along with a guest percussionist. Together, they’ve created a timeless blend of folk, ragtime, jazz, and country. With Spirits, the trio continues their musical journey, merging classic American sounds with contemporary themes.

On Spirits, the heavy atmosphere of the past years shines through. During the recording sessions at the iconic Dreamland Studios in Woodstock, a converted church in the woods, Pete Bernhard channeled his personal losses of friends and family into the music. The dark clouds that hung over him during these stormy years are amplified by the album’s themes of death and drugs.

The opening track, Lights on Me, sets the tone: with a tight rhythm, a haunting cowboy yodel, and the words “Too many spirits in this house now, too many spirits in my head...,” the song builds to a gripping, ominous atmosphere. Ghosts Are Weak follows with a self-deprecating and sarcastic drug-fueled epic, making it clear the band isn’t shy about exploring their darker sides.

The tempo slows down with Hard Times, a bluegrass-infused track laced with banjo, where Cooper McBean takes the lead vocals. I Love Doing Drugs – also by McBean – blends the power of traditional folk with an aggressive punk attitude, adding an unexpected twist to the sound.

Social awareness emerges in The Dark Gets The Best of You, a subtle western-tinged track that observes the divisions in American society. Divide and Conquer sounds at first like a cheerful fiddlestomper, but proves to be a sharp critique of dramatic social developments.

With Spirits, The Devil Makes Three once again demonstrates their ability to connect burning contemporary issues with the legacy of original American music. The album is a must-have for fans of authentic Americana and is available at specialists in the genre: Bennies Fifties and the Fifties Store.

Let yourself be captivated by the spirits of Spirits – the sound of a trio capturing the pain and beauty of life in all its facets.

Tracks

1. "Lights On Me" 3:50
2. "Spirits" 3:37
3. "Ghosts Are Weak" 3:07
4. "Half As High" 2:33
5. "Hard Times" 3:17
6. "The Devil Wins" 3:58
Side 2
1. "The Dark Gets The Best Of You" 4:31
2. "Fallen Champions" 3:53
3. "The Gift" 3:24
4. "Divide And Conquer" 2:40
5. "I Love Doing Drugs" 3:10
6. "Poison Well" 3:37