Women - Women

A few readers recommended the band Women to me recently and since I had heard that Chad VanGaalen produced their debut album, I knew I had to check them out. Based out of Calgary, the quartet consists of two brothers and, uh, two other guys. They have toured the US as part of VanGaalen's backing band, as well as in the Absolutely Kosher band, Azeda Booth. Their self-titled debut is due in stores on July 8th and is likely to be the most underrated gem of 2008. Combining Velvet Underground creepiness with a heavy dose of noisy effects and psychedelic charm, Women may only be twenty-nine minutes long, but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in the dense weight of its music. "Cameras" starts the record off beautifully with dirty guitar scrapes and echoed vocals that soon trail off into track two, after only a minute. "Lawncare" carries those elements a bit further, adding clangs of percussion and interweaving riffs. "Black Rice," another standout track, is Women at their catchiest and has already begun to get rave reviews. Critics will most likely try to compare these guys to contemporaries like Animal Collective (because, really, who doesn't get compared to AC these days?), Akron/Family, and Deerhunter, but any serious listener can tell that their sound is deeply rooted in the '60s rather than today. If you're interested in lo-fi sounds, Chad VanGaalen, or noise in general, you need to download this album immediately.

DOWNLOAD: Women - Women [Flemish Eye]
Recommended Tracks: "Lawncare," "Black Rice," "Group Transport Hall," "Shaking Hands."