Public Strain

Public Strain
Studio album by
Women
ReleasedAugust 23, 2010 (2010-08-23)[a]
StudioYoko Eno
Genre
Length42:18
Label
ProducerChad VanGaalen
Women chronology
Women
(2008) 		Public Strain
(2010)
Singles from Public Strain
  1. "Eyesore"
    Released: September 2010

Public Strain is the second and final studio album by Canadian rock band Women. It was released on August 23, 2010, via Flemish Eye in Canada and Jagjaguwar in the United States. The album was produced by Chad VanGaalen and recorded during a period of isolation for the band with limited equipment and experimental techniques involved in the 10-month recording process.[b] It has been noted for the key and vocal delivery, unique sound and krautrock style, influence from the Velvet Underground, and numerous genres including post-punk.

Lyrically, Public Strain addresses issues such as paranoia and melancholy. It contains multiple references to Ray Johnson. The deadpan vocal delivery of guitarist Patrick Flegel and bassist Matthew Flegel were described as evocative and hard to understand; the album makes use of harmonizing from all three band members and VanGaalen to create an "ethereal" vocal track. Its instrumentation is abrasive, which drew comparisons to Sonic Youth and Wavves. An accompanying tour would abruptly halt.

Public Strain was released to high critical reviews, and it was longlisted for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. Retrospective reviews have labeled it one of the best albums of the 2010s decade, with particular praise directed towards the closing track "Eyesore". Widely considered an underground classic, the album has received a cult following. Its large impact on indie artists has been noted by personnel involved in the recording and release of the album.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference PitchEyesore was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Paton, Daniel. "Women - Public Strain". musicOMH. Archived from the original on August 29, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2022.


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