Louis Philippe (él Records) and Stuart Moxham (Young Marble Giants, The Gist) first got to collaborating on the exquisite album The Huddle House from 2007. That was released on Philippe’s own label without much press. But the wait for a follow-up has been long and created a hushed hype prior to the release in June. Neither of them have released much in the intervening years, making The Devil Laughs something to truly cherish. Moxham takes lead but with harmonies from Philippe, as well as his signature multi-part vocal arrangements. The instrumentation also bears his clear mark, like the trebly 12-string on the title-track and delicate flutes in other places.
