ALBUM REVIEW: The Devil Makes Three Perseveres Through Hard Times on ‘Spirits’
Jim Shahen
Posted On February 26, 2025
Whether it’s the state of the world or personal travails, a lot of people are going through it right now. Finding your way through these challenges isn’t easy; it takes resilience, clarity and a sense of purpose.
These are the themes at the core of Spirits, the new LP by The Devil Makes Three and the trio’s first record since the 2018 release, Chains are Broken. Whereas Chains are Broken is very much rooted in a muscular roots rock and alt-country sound, Spirits features more stripped-down arrangements, wherein the brawn comes in the form of lyrical conviction and heartfelt delivery.
The essence of Spirits is best exemplified by the fifth song, “Hard Times.” It’s a ballad that reflects the sociopolitical climate we’re currently enduring, as guitarist Cooper McBean takes lead vocal duties and laments,
“It’s hard, hard, hard times
They’ll charge you dollars
While they’re paying you in dimes
When they said it was going to trickle down
You know that they were lying.”
The sentiment of seeing the rich get richer while everyone else is forced to struggle anchors the jaunty country of “Half as High.” Devil Makes Three frontman and primary songwriter waxes on making do with less, asking, “How come we got to take a bigger hit, just to get half as high?”
But for others, suffering comes from elsewhere. Namely, from the death of loved ones and the resultant grief. Bernhard lost his mother, brother, and childhood best friend during the making of Spirits. He reconciles that loss on multiple tracks on the album, most notably on the title track and the up-tempo country-folk of “Ghosts are Weak,” in which the narrator of the track looks to get high enough to push through the mourning process.
There aren’t really any straightforward answers or resolutions to life’s challenges, although McBean’s ironic “I Love Doing Drugs” does present one possible option. But as the closing selection “Holding On” indicates, Bernhard and The Devil Makes Three really only see one way forward. Singing over a simple acoustic guitar melody and gorgeous fiddle-playing from bassist Morgan Eve Swain,” Bernhard sings,
Oh, someday everything I love will be gone
I don’t believe in chance
I don’t believe in fate
I just believe in holding on.
It’s a simple and deceptively powerful message to conclude the album.
The Devil Makes Three’s Spirits is out via New West Records on Feb. 28
