Barb Wire Dolls

Barb Wire Dolls

Rub My Mind

Motörhead Music

Cretan female-fronted, self-styled, punk band, Barb Wire Dolls, flew to L.A at the invitation of Rodney Bingenheimer, who is credited for breaking The Ramones, The Clash, Sex Pistols and Blondie in the USA.  Motörhead’s Lemmy signed them to their label after seeing them perform at the Whisky A-Go-Go, during one of several residencies there.  I was disappointed therefore to find this album was too far removed from punk and closer to the pop of Blondie and Texas at times, especially in track two If I Fall, that interestingly has a similar howling at almost the same second minute that Roxy Music’s famous Let’s Stick Together includes. Desert Song, Gold and Fade Away are slower and have more complex arrangements and allow Queen Isis, the lead vocalist, the room to express her vocals to better effect and the guitars are much more authentic. If this band want to conquer the world, they need to either inject more venom into their sound, like they do in track ten, Contract, akin to say Penetration’s Coming Up for Air, or play to their current strengths which for me were the slower songs and arrangements which by definition, may not be punk.  They have more talent than they think and they should rely on their own instincts to guide them.

NE