[b] It has been noted for the key and vocal delivery, unique sound and krautrock style, influence from the Velvet Underground, and numerous genres including post-punk.

After promoting their debut album Women in 2008, the band felt the pressures of extensive touring and began recording Public Strain soon after finishing their tour—[5] the members lived in a house together with a place in their basement that was used to jam for hours at a time.

[7] Patrick Flegel, a guitarist and front man of the band, would describe the recording process as a "slog", but with similar or the same experimentation techniques as Women.

[6] Drummer Michael Wallace was not particularly involved in the songwriting process but acknowledged Women's influence from the Velvet Underground, especially Moe Tucker.

[9] The final product was considered by Flegel to have "missed the mark" of Women's intended sound, although it got closer than their debut album to their intentions.

[9] Flegel was working a graveyard shift full time, leading to a period of isolation, which contributed to the songwriting process: "that's what contextualizes the album in my mind, this bizarre complex in the suburbs, no people around—just, completely quiet, just left alone to your thoughts, too much time on your hands, thinking too much, blowing things out of proportion, growing incredibly paranoid".

[9] Flegel credits Ian Russel, the founder of Flemish Eye, VanGaalen's label, as a motivator for creating Public Strain.

[7] During the recording process, VanGaalen would discard takes that sounded too clean and replace them with the more abrasive cassette tape tracks.

[11] "Heat Distraction" contains uncommon key and time signature changes; the song begins in 138, and was compared to works by Sonic Youth and Swell Maps.

[13][10][14] "Penal Colony" is a subdued ballad, which drew comparisons to Public Strain's tenth track "Venice Lockjaw" for its paring back; the latter is noted for its "angelic melody and twinkling arpeggios"[2] and was called "the Velvet Underground [but] raised up from graves to woo the stars".

[2][14][12] "Drag Open" has been considered to be one of the loudest tracks on Public Strain,[2] drawing comparisons to Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.

[16][12] The final track "Eyesore" lacks a chorus and is complete with "expansive guitar lines structured around ringing open strings and wide melodic intervals".

Johnson was previously referenced on Women's debut album, on the song titled "Sag Harbour Bridge".

[13][20] Public Strain was released on August 23, 2010, on VanGaalen's Flemish Eye record label in Canada, and on Jagjaguwar in the United States.

magazine would run a detailed account of the fight, and Flemish Eye stated that Women was "exhausted and going on hiatus.

"[27] Aaron Leitko, writing for Pitchfork, called the album "a bleak but beautiful record, full of subtly skewed melodies".

[16] Chris Buckle, for The Skinny, called it "one of the year's most rewarding listens";[15] Joshua Kloke, at PopMatters, commented that in the wake of the band's potential breakup, "things have to leave you before you really begin to appreciate them".

Michael Crick at PopMatters concluded that while it was unlikely that it had a wide influence, Public Strain still modeled and contributed to the "Calgary Sound" of music.

[37] Bradford Cox of Deerhunter named the album his favorite "lost classic", stating: "They were very advanced instrumentally ...

"[2][39] Russel reflected upon the album's legacy in the light of Women's subsequent breakup:[5]It was not exactly easy material to get into ... We were going down that road of trying to [get an audience] when it all imploded.