III

Released in 2019, 'III' is a conceptual masterwork that structures its 13 tracks into three distinct chapters, each focusing on a different generation of the fictional Sparks family. The album is deeply personal, inspired by the band members' real-life experiences with family members struggling with drug addiction. This thematic weight shifts the band's sound away from the 'stomp-and-clap' folk revivalism of their debut toward a more sophisticated, chamber-folk aesthetic. Recorded at Simone Felice's studio in the Catskills, the album benefits from a raw, analog warmth that highlights the interplay between piano, cello, and Schultz's raspy, emotive delivery. Critics, including those at AllMusic, noted the album's deliberate, slower pace and its narrative ambition, marking it as a mature evolution in the band's discography. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, proving that their audience was willing to follow them into darker, more complex territory.