Amigo the Devil - Volume 1

Before his full-length debut, Amigo the Devil gathered his early EPs into Volume 1, a darkly funny introduction to his singular brand of murder folk.

Danny Kiranos built his following one grim, beautifully sung story at a time, armed with a banjo or an acoustic guitar and a voice that can swing from tender to menacing in a single line. This collection brings together songs from the Manimals, Diggers and Decompositions EPs, released between 2010 and 2015, and it is the handiest way to hear where it all began.

"Dahmer Does Hollywood" announces his gallows humour from its title alone, and "Perfect Wife" sets sweet, plucked melody against something far more unsettling. "Hell and You" and "The Recluse" show the gentler, more melancholy side of his writing, the moments where the jokes fall away and the loneliness underneath shows through. Throughout, the arrangements stay sparse and intimate, leaving his storytelling in the spotlight.

It is folk music with dirt under its fingernails, and it makes a perfect companion to the albums that followed. Fans of Nick Cave, Tom Waits or a good true crime podcast will feel right at home, as long as they do not mind a few shivers along the way.