Review: Purity Ring - Eternity Ring
Purity Ring
Eternity Ring
4AD
For a group that partly relied on the trap music trends present around the release of Shrines, it’s hard to imagine the Canadian synth pop duo would create an album that would stick to that same formula, as the fans of electronica’s subgenres can be fickle. So, have they moved on from 2012’s hot music craze, and can they avoid judgement from the electronica fanbase?
A good stretch of Another Eternity lacks what Shrines so slickly embraced – the trap beats, with their skittering snares and hi-hats, and booming bass hits are not so prolific this time around; the strength of the duo’s honest pop song writing is left exposed, for better and for worse.
The balance between dance instrumentals and vocals was half and half on their debut, with the vocals carefully weaved into the mix - but now they’re the main focus. When the writing is tight, the melodies excel - like on the relaxed lead single ‘Push Pull’, as Megan James’ voice glides over the hypnotic, triplet-filled groove. Alternatively, when the vocals are dull, the song suffers. ‘Repetition’ is a romantic track that aims to be sultry and achieves it to an extent, but lands at awkward and a little cheesy. Additionally, the emphasis on the vocals is problematic as it highlights the sterile nature of James’ voice when compared to Purity Ring’s adversary Grimes a.k.a Claire Boucher, whose voice is far more distinct and emotive. James sounds lifeless and cold for the full 35 minutes, making no attempt to break away from her tried and tested ethereal serenading.
The lyrics warrant at least brief analysis, although don’t provide much of a deeper insight into the artistic vision of the duo, as most of what’s sung is typical pop subject matter: sex, relationships and the emotional feelings associated. These trivial experiences are coated in a thick layer of grandeur and mystery; in the same way Ofelia saw the world in Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.
While there is far less trap influence, Purity Ring still find ways to make you shake. ‘Stranger Than Earth’ has a hip-shifting groove that reminds you that dance music, as sterile as it can be, can actually incite voluntary body movements. Corin Roddick’s instrumentals utilise synthesisers more often than the manipulated vocal samples that were so prominent on Shrines. The songs sparkle, swell and snap with bright arpeggios, airy synths and reverberating snares. There’s a level of professionalism and sheen, less patchwork samples and more bespoke arrangements.
While it shows flair, it unfortunately takes away some of what made their first album so captivating. The weirdness of their previous work has disappeared as their sound has transitioned from spectral and distinct to commercial. Either that or the effect has just worn off. ‘Repetition’ is the only song where the manipulated vocal samples are obvious, but the way they are utilised is heavy-handed and is the one place where Roddick’s composition sounds amateurish.
Another Eternity shows that Purity Ring have lost what made Shrines so brilliant. At their best there is a harmony between James and Roddick that feels whole, but the majority of the time it feels like hearing two disconnected artists rather than a duo. The ghostly samples that worked so well in partnership with James’ fantastical lyrics are gone, and so is Purity Ring’s signature atmosphere and tone.
6.0/10
Daniel Cook