Women – Public Strain

There are plenty of music fans that are still trying to decipher all of the idiosyncratic sonic elements of Women‘s brilliantly quirky self-titled debut. Those fans (and more, hopefully) now have something new to pour over, as the Calgary quartet are back with their singular sophomore record, Public Strain, which only builds on the eccentricities and promise of their first album. Buoyed by both a growing confidence and studio seasoning, Women take some bold, audacious risks on this record, with nearly all of them paying off in a striking, exemplary fashion. Public Strain is a far more subtle affair than their jangly, untamed debut, and while lacking anything remotely as catchy as ‘Black Rice,’ it fares all the better for it, as the band has instead crafted a challenging, exploratory work that demands as much patience from the listener as it surely did for the talented musicians involved.

This record, which is again produced by the inscrutable musical mastermind Chad VanGaalen, is filled with a disquieting tension that is continually restrained and subdued, with the songs maintaining an edgy spirit that never subsides, even during its quieter moments. Women continually indulge their psych-pop proclivities throughout Public Strain, sounding even more like the hallucinatory amalgamation of early Pink Floyd and the Beach Boys than they did on their first record, which works well on the blissfully melodic ‘Penal Colony’ and the stiflingly clamorous ‘Heat Distraction.’ Frontman Patrick Flegel is consistently altering the time structure and tone of the songs with his angular guitar work that meshes fittingly with his atonal vocals. There is even hints of Bowie’s Low or Radiohead’s ‘Treefingers’ in the menacing instrumental ‘Bells,’ which forms a calming bridge into the record’s stellar second half along with the hypnotic coda of ‘China Steps.’

‘Untogether’ is a study in uncompromising form, as the band remains locked into a tight grove that never fully unleashes, with the last minute of the track hinting at the the possibility of this song turning into a sprawling, Sonic Youth-style jam in a live setting. ‘Drag Open’ has elements of the California surf-punk scene from the early 80s threaded throughout the untamed number, while ‘Locust Valley’ is just a perfect, top-down summer song, with the band doing away with the dissonance and ecstatically giving in to melody and pop structure, delivering a stirring chorus that is among the best moments on the record.

‘Venice Lockjaw’ is a lovely, subdued number that echoes the more tranquil moments of the Velvets, and serves as a fine segue into the brilliant closing track ‘Eyesore.’ The song is a combination of everything Women do right; with just the right amount of discord blending perfectly with a subtle but rousing guitar riff, and the driving rhythm section complimenting Flegel’s muted, insistent vocals while never fully overwhelming him. It’s the best song the band has written to date, and ends the album in such a thrilling, encouraging way that you are both convinced that Women have not only lived up to but exceeded the growing expectations following their strong debut, while also being assured that the group’s best days are indeed ahead of them. Public Strain is the sound of a young band still exploring the depths of their burgeoning sound, and while there is plenty of prudent experimentation found throughout the album, Women still get it completely right. Exactly what “it” is, though, remains something we will all be trying to figure out until they drop their next wildly inventive album on us.