The Demolition Doll Rods
obviously like it raw, from their barely-there stage outfits to the primitive thunder of their
blues
-shot two-guitars-and-a-drum-kit assault, and they haven't dressed their sound (or themselves) up much at all for their fourth long-player,
There Is a Difference
. Musically, this doesn't offer much of a changeup over their previous work, though
Margaret Doll Rod
's soulful vocal acrobatics and
Danny Doll Rod
's gnarly fuzzed-out guitar figures are certainly shown to their best advantage, especially on the frenetic
"Booty Call,"
the sensual ooze of
"Baby Say Unh,"
and a pleading cover of
"Open Up Your Door"
(recorded many moons before by New Jersey
garage
outfit
Richard & the Young Lions
). If there is a difference with this album, it's that
the Doll Rods
seem to have begun exploring the tenuous relationship between the physical and the spiritual with this disc. While most of the tunes sound as aggressively horny as ever (and this has always been one sex-obsessed trio), in the later innings
begin wrapping their mitts around
gospel
music, with a noisy but seemingly sincere version of
"Amazing Grace,"
followed by an equally primitive and heartfelt medley of old
spirituals
. Are
the Demolition Doll Rods
trying to reconcile their physical appetites with their spiritual needs? Or is embracing the Man Upstairs the last way to startle their jaded fans? It's hard to say either way, but fans looking for high-quality sleaze
rock
get that and a bit more with
; besides, a little spiritual purification couldn't hurt anyone interested in this combo. ~ Mark Deming