All the love that is in her eye
Just a little devil in disguise

Fool ‘em once, shame on you. Fool ‘em twice (or more) and it might just become a song. While music has always held enough power to soothe beasts and Beelzebubs alike, it’s not always easy to spot a devil until you recognize your own. On The Dead South’s new song, “A Little Devil,” we come face to face with an infernal little character that’s set a fire under their boots.

So I’ll tell you How the story goes
Just lock me up with that bottle
The father, son, and the ghost

The intro is a complex key, twisting and forking to unexpected notes before stopping completely. What will it unlock? Will it be a sweet song? Will it be dark? Will it be fun and full of fury? Just like a tricky personality, The Dead South’s “A Little Devil” finds a way to work it all in.

As cute as it is cutting, “A Little Devil” is almost onomatopoeic, its title foretelling of its shifty musical underpinnings. Having a devil of a good time, the song jumps and skips around from slow and swaying to double time head bobbing, all strings strummed with ferocity and fire. In the pre-chorus, the rhythm and the tone of the instruments take on an near organ-like tone, further adding to the imagery of angels and devils, of church and state of mind.

Then I saw the hole in the sky
That’s when I heard the angel’s cry
All the love that is in her eye
She just a little devil in disguise

Lead singer Nate Hilts’ vocal delivery is smooth and deliciously low, lyrically oscillating between trident-sharp pangs of regret and a devil may care acceptance of choices his protagonist has made. Scott Pringle’s harmonies, and the trill of his mandolin, fill in around Hilts’ voice, creating a rich and robust tapestry for this tale of deception and heartbreak.

My heads on fire
My heart has turned to toast

The old saying may go, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” but on “A Little Devil,” The Dead South prove they don’t suffer idioms. While idle hands do the devil’s work, The Dead South don’t rest for a moment, playing through with enough gusto and gumption to oust any bad juju.

THE HORIZON LINE PLAYLIST:
Listen to this week's Horizon Line playlist inspired by "A Little Devil" by The Dead South.