The evolution of the more electronically-tuned artists that pervade the musical landscape these days can be attributed mostly to Animal Collective’s explosion in the public consciousness — although the newest from the Calgary-based outfit Women, Public Strain, owes even more to Why? than to AC. Songs like “Locust Valley” have a relaxed, noodling similarity to Yoni Wolf’s deadpan vocal delivery, while electronic, whirring tracks like “Bells” feels like a page break.

As a whole, the album alternatively shifts from droning, ambient instrumentals to twanging, sharp, guitar-heavy indie rock; the contrast is so sharp it’s difficult to hear the similarities. There’s a lot of thread missing from holding this album together; songs like “Penal Colony” stick out like sore thumbs. The droning, stoner-slow jams feel out of place against treble-loaded tracks like “Narrow With The Hall” and “China Steps.”

Conclusively, the jangling sharpness of the majority of Public Strain fails to mesh with the dial-tone drone interspersed for flavor; they collectively fail at cohesion, making for a hard listen.

(Jagjaguwar, 1499 West 2nd Street, Bloomington, IN 47403)