the devil makes three is an interesting trio that i have been listening to for a few years. a curious blend of folk, bluegrass, old timey ragtime and the blues, they are a very enjoyable bunch. on their most recent release, they go a slightly different route and do a concept album of sorts. the first ‘side’ is six songs about ruin – tales of drugs and alcohol written by such legends as robert johson, muddy waters, kris kristofferson and townes van zandt. the second ‘side’ is six songs about redemption – gospel tinged nuggets by such luminaries as ralph stanley, tom waits, charlie monroe and hank williams sr.
i have a few of their previous albums and it is all pretty much original material, and so it is a little interesting that this release is all covers, but they are all well selected and well played. recorded at john prine’s studio in nashville, they round out their trio with a great backup band and some notable bluegrass stars such as jerry douglas, emmylou harris, tim o’brien, and darrell scott.
i love their enthusiasm for older genres and their ability to fuse them all for a new audience. this is a good starting point if you have never heard of them.
redeyegin 