Article and Photos: Nick Durcholz

Nashville, TN — A forlorn and funky psalm diffused like roadhouse incense into the cutting crisp air of the Music City on Friday night, perfectly embodying – while also displacing – the fiscally fetid, moronically merciless shadow our country has fallen under.

Heavy indeed, much like the band who kicked off the night: The Huntress and the Holder of Hands. They are a lithe and lumbering amalgamation of chamber strings, climatic drums and growling guitar. Vocally, the three ladies of the band each contribute a slightly different personality creating such a unique and cohesive energy. Keep an ear on this band to hear how they evolve.

Now, for the dark stars of the show. The trio (foursome with a fiddler) brought down the house with bawdy barn-burners in one breath and rustic heart-wrenchers in the next. The musical density and depth of The Devil Makes Three blew me away. It was abundantly clear that these gentlemen and lady were more at home than a mudskipper in Louisiana. It showed, and it looked and sounded beautiful.

Naturally, they performed tracks from their latest album Redemption & Ruin, but there seemed to be a good balance of tracks from previous albums as well. It’s safe to say The Devil Makes Three proved hands up that they are one of the heavy-hitters in the revival genre, and their sultry sound seduced at least one lifelong fan on that February night.