The Devil Makes Three has never been accused of making light, vapid music. Across seven albums, the Santa Cruz-based trio has melded blues, folk, Americana, and even influences of punk with often deeply personal, occasionally dark lyrics for a deeply satisfying gothic folk sound. Like Johnny Cash fronting The Cramps, the band has cleaved out a unique sound for more than two decades.
And their latest, Spirits, is no different. In fact, it might be the most Devil Makes Three album yet, as it leans into darker subjects like grief and mortality. “There’s a theme of ghosts and death running through this album,” says frontman Pete Bernhard, who lost his mother, brother, and closest childhood friend while making the record. “The world’s in a strange place right now.