Straight Line

Pete Bernhard, lead singer and main songwriter of the punky ragtime folk band Devil Makes Three, delivers his third solo album with a bit of studio polish and a somewhat more expansive sound than that of the typical Devil Makes Three album. It's a bit more country and a bit more rock, which is not to say that Bernhard's going to be making any kind of mainstream move in the future. The music is still ragged and unpolished in the best possible way, and features his solo band — producer Max Hart on organ and bass, Jason Chase on drums, Keith Cary on harmonica, and Jessica Cook on harmony vocals. "Warning" is a rock song that warns you of the dangers of being in a rock band, a genre that's been done to death. Bernhard manages to make the subject fresh with his playful lyrics and deadpan humor. "Lights on Me" is a punchy folk-rock tune that sounds like Devil Makes Three on steroids. Hart's bass rumbles the speakers, Chase's drums rush the beat, and Bernhard's vocal is full of his wailing country soul and fatalistic humor. "Orphan" is a talking blues that brings to mind early Dylan with its freewheeling lyrics and Bernhard's offhand delivery. Two songs, "Pray for Rain" and "Mint Condition," were improvised during the sessions and they have the unpolished energy of a band hitting on all cylinders. "Rain" is a jaunty ragtime tune featuring Cary's wailing harp, Chase's galloping rhythms, and the kind of hooky chorus Bernhard's so good at. "Mint Condition" is a moody bad-man ballad with a bragging, over the top lyric and Bernhard on electric guitar. He also does an interesting cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold." Bernhard slows it down, making the lyric sound even cryptic while Hart's organ gives the track a classic '60s folk-rock feel. ~ j. poet, Rovi