Unlike a lot of albums, Women’s self-titled debut isn’t a collection of tracks culled from the studio, but a full-fledged experience. Like the great records of old, it’s meant to be put on a record player with the lights down low and a pair of comfortable headphones, not cut up into tracks for the internet generation.
The production work is top-notch, a real testament to producer Chad VanGaalen’s ability to milk the sound out of a band and put it on an album. The two tracks that start the CD, the minute-long “Cameras” and “Lawncare,” are examples of how both the band and VanGaalen have been able to make a complete album. The two tracks are connected sonically, the squiggling synthesizer in “Cameras” complementing the undulating ballet of the lead guitar in “Lawncare” perfectly.
Clocking in at only 30 minutes, Women is a short listen. Almost half the tracks are barely two minutes long and help bridge the gaps between longer songs. The album is a great first effort by a band that might actually have a shot of making it out of Calgary and into the music world beyond.