Women released two stone-cold classics: “Women” in 2008 and “Public Strain” in 2010. Their sound revolves around the biting, abrasive guitars of Chris Reimer and Pat Flegel, the adventurous rhythm section of Michael Wallace (drums) and Matt Flegel (bass), and P. Flegel’s zoned-out, detached vocals. They found a combination of fascinating post-punk sounds and poppy melodies that allowed them to move between roaring, dissonant experimentation and tight, graceful tunes (often combining these two modes within the same song). Everyone in this band was insanely talented and brought a lot to their sound, to the shapes of the songs. They broke up a little after “Public Strain” came out. In 2012, Reimer, an amazing musician and incredibly inventive guitarist, tragically passed away.
The good news that Flemish Eye and Jagjaguwar were reissuing “Public Strain” for its 10th anniversary was accompanied by even better news: an EP of rarities would be released as well. “Rarities 2007 - 2010” contains five unreleased (or rare) Women tracks, all of which are of the same high quality as the existing album tracks. “Everyone Is So In Love With You” is probably the track that differs the most from Women’s LP work—the main sounds are cello, acoustic guitar, and Flegel’s faraway, haunted vocals, and it has the feel of a Parenthetical Girls ballad. “Everyone…” points to what might have been a different direction for the band, and actually sounds pretty close to what Flegel has ended up pursuing with the Cindy Lee project. “Bullfight” came out on a split with Cold Pumas, Fair Ohs, and Friendo, and feels like classic Women, launching with Wallace’s drums and Matt Flegel’s rolling bass, and unveiling the sharp, wiry guitars of Reimer and P. Flegel. It’s angular and restless—it’s got the feel of a Television song, a kind of spiky, beautiful, effortless song. “Service Animal” is another gem, with dry, whirring guitars and Pat Flegel’s declamations echoing in the background. This is a good example of something they did so well—marrying disparate sounds in a way that seems like it could never work, but in their hands it all gels so well. At first blush, “Service Animal” seems so off-kilter and wild, but you listen to it just a couple times and the melody is stuck in your head for the rest of the day. “Grey Skies” is probably my favorite song among the rarities, it’s up there alongside “Venice Lockjaw” and “Eyesore” as one of the band’s most gorgeous songs. It’s all graceful, neon-bright guitar lines and Pat Flegel’s reverbed, 50s vocal-group crooning. It has such a sinuous, surprising melody. The EP closes with an alternate (extended) version of “Group Transport Hall” from “Women,” and this version probably surpasses the album version—it’s slower and heavier, and the extra heft fits the song well.
“Rarities 2007 - 2010” is essential for any fans of the band, and even if you only ever heard “Black Rice,” these songs are absolutely worth your time. It’s a shame that the band only ever recorded two LPs—who knows what they would have done if they’d kept going. I’m thankful we get to hear a handful of new songs from one of the most inventive guitar bands of the last 15 years.