Self-exiled on their rural Virginia estate, Royal Trux's Neil Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema create music essentially for an audience of two: themselves. The duo's records are almost accidental by-products, brief glimpses into their mixed-up, arcane genius. "Veterans of Disorder" retains the random, falling-apart-at-the-seams method of songwriting Royal Trux stumbled onto more than a decade ago. "Witch's Tit" and "Stop" rock in that early '70s Rolling Stones fashion, and "Sickazz Dog" and "Blue Is the Frequency" cling to the old-school junky Trux of their first two albums. In fact, "Blues" could be the sequel to "(Edge of the) Ape Oven" from "Twin Infinitives," their puzzling double album from 1990.
Herrema, whose raspy voice, scraggy stage presence and magnetic sex appeal combine the best of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, perfectly complements Hagerty's uneasy electric and pedal-steel guitar performances. "Veterans of Disorder" only gets better with each listen, and you should feel so lucky to hear it.
