Women s/t

Flemish Eye/Jagjaguwar

June 15th, 2008.

Women's debut, recorded with fellow Calgary native Chad VanGaalen, harks back to the greyscale aesthetics of early post-punk. Not a single solitary fuck is given to those on it's receiving end - you take what you're given. A shivering start to the cold-hearted essence of one of the finest bands of the past 20 years; or of all-time, in all honesty.

Under 30 minutes in length - bite-size bits of post-punk and indie greatness - Women's debut sets up a short trip through seedy spaces and ice-cold soundscapes. It comes to sullen life, and somewhat stays in and around the sullen setting. Akin to soundtracks to the Gulag's unforgiving environment, Women traverse unlivable conditions and make them pretty in the process. Few albums instill a sense of 'carelessly cold' quite like the Calgary quartets debut. The sounds shrug off emotion - cold shoulders await those seeking a place to stay; a humane warmth resonates on some level, but it has to be sought after. Deep down in the dunes of the soul lies the hand in which you long for. The world saw it hit the ground, when no one was around; did it offer a smidge of empathy or emotion? A distant gaze of misanthropic delight is all there is. Beyond reach, revolving around pillars of apathy. It would like to extend itself out, but has been hurt in the past, and it's bound to occur, yet again, in the future. Who's to say that this will be any different? The more things change, the more they remain the same. Different views, same results and same dead-ends. Cut off from life in ways that aren't perceptible to the human eye.

Few tracks can come close to 'Shaking Hand'. The dancing and interweaving of the guitars over the course of the song; the bowing of the bass in the build up to its closing moments; the drums building on themselves until they're in full motion - pure magic. It belongs in the annals of 'greatest guitar songs ever put to tape'; although it's much more than the sum of its guitars; it's the full package. The perfect song.

'Grey balloons set towards the sun. Fighting words underneath your tongue. Soon we will be laughing. Out there on the landing. Now it's too bright. Dancing through the ash. You made other plans.'