On 4th September 2011, an unexpected marketing technique brought a sparkling new duo from Canadian's diamond mining city of Edmonton over a million YouTube hits resulting in fast exposure. The video posted by Jessica Viscusie promoted an enthralling and lush track called Lofticries accompanied by a seductive photograph of a woman dressed in lingerie inside a hotel room. The idea worked and since then Purity Ring have inspired other musicians such as Chvrches, MSMR and Banks, moved from hipster secrets to Radio 1 playlisters, started intense tour schedules in the UK and developed a devoted fan base. Music critics fell in love with their experimental brand of dark dream-pop, unpredictable warped futuristic glitch, unconventional song structures and how it suffocated the sweet yet chopped vocals of singer Megan James. It's sound developed the electronic hysterics of compatriots Grimes and the late Crystal Castles and turned it into music that could be equalling relaxing and danceable in an indie club, whilst also adopting the contrasting deep voice alteration technique from the likes of The Knife, Lapsley and Iamamiwhoami. It was always willing to experiment and explore new possibilities and constantly surprise the listener.

 

Due to the premature ingenuity, timing and accolades of Shrines, their follow up Another Eternity was always going to have trouble pleasing their fans with a backlash of upset Purity-Ringers already surfacing on the internet just days after it's release. Another Eternity is not light years away from their debut but it lacks it's crucial multi-dimensional quality, unpredictable mood chances, tempo intermissions, and unique contrast between light and dark moments. It takes the lighter poppier moments and extends them into something that's shockingly more acessible and swallowable for mainstream audiences. 

 

Take for instance the teaser single Push Pull, a song that feels consistently glittery and follows a predictable structure of verse and chorus with crescendo-building drops and bridges. It also doesn't help that the lyrics feel laboured and forced to match it's accompany beats rather than comfortable and patient. As the voice constantly tries to catch up with the pace of the music rather than the over way around.

 

Bodyache also exemplifies the same problem and adds Guetta-pumping basslines, whilst worringly taking all the soul and personality from Megan's voice leaving a stale emotionless shadow. The signs weren't too promising from the beginning though with opener Heartsigh's irritating default and commonly used EDM effects of rapid machine-gun drum hits and bee-moaning. The squeaky Avicii disorientation on Flood On The Floor and the Akon-auto-tune laziness of the suitably titled Repetition will give shivers down the spine of a hipster. On the evidence of these tracks Purity Ring have become imitators rather than trend-setters and it threatens to become undistinguishable from Top 40 pop music.

 

On a positive note, Purity Ring have to be admired at least for attempting some kind of evolution rather than creating an identical album. Begin Again is the closest in style to anything off Shrines but adds a trance thrust that's addictive and rewarding along with Noah's Ark lyrics. Dust Hymn has an Arabian-hip hop flavour, Sea Castle unusually includes piano, Stranger Than Earth borrows the alternative r&b/trip-hop steadiness of FKA Twigs' Two Weeks but unfortunately it all hints back their current obessive nature at eurodance transformations.

 

Just like the first album Shrines, they are completely in charge on the production side of things so it's obvious that this their desired direction. This unrestrained decision is also shown by their album title and the lyrics in Begin Again and therefore it can't be a record-label-approving mentality. It will bring them stardom but at the risk of alienating their original fans and creating hollow music. Hopefully this style won't stay for eternity.

 

Best Tracks: Begin Again