Purity Ring – another eternity //
The duo behind Purity Ring, Megan James and Corin Roddick, conducted an AMA on reddit today where we learned their collaboration with Danny Brown (“25 Bucks”) was a Twitter connection that transpired via “long distance.” We learned “Fireshrine” took five months to create. James also responded to a question about music streaming and Spotify:
music streaming services seem to be a sort of question mark right now, a number of artists are deciding not to put their music on them which is a decision i fully respect and sometimes contemplate. however, we are at a point right now where it seems more beneficial for us to have our songs up on them and we are generally more interested in having as many people enjoy our music however they can.
And in response to the criticism online regarding the new record being too “poppy,” Roddick responded, “from the beginning we’ve always been trying to write pop music.”
BAM TEAM RATING:
When Purity Ring dropped singles “Obedear” and “Fineshrine” in 2012, the Canadian duo comprised of vocalist Megan James and multi-instrumentalist Corin Roddick was quickly on its way toward being the next big thing in synthpop. Their debut full length Shrines climbed high up the charts, clocking in at No. 32 on the Billboard 200 with a No. 2 ranking on the “Dance/Electronic Albums” list and earning critical acclaim across the board. Following up such immediate success with even more remains a tall task for James and Roddick, who play with a variety of futuristic sounds and bouncy hip-hop beats throughout their second studio album another eternity. And while many of the LP’s hooks (see “begin again” and “flood on the floor”) are strong enough to find their way into Top 40 playlists, James’ childlike vocals can only grab your attention for so long. That isn’t to say that this is sub-par work from the Edmonton outfit, but the novelty that came prepackaged with Shrines has clearly worn off. -Josh Herwitt
3 BAMS // Top Song: “stranger than earth”
We’re in a time and place where glitch and dance minimalism have taken over the aesthetics of pop music, and Purity Ring’s self-described futurepop crested that wave just as this trend began to form in 2012. But what do we have here? another eternity is shinier, more accessible and injected with familiar EDM qualities that help beef up the pop-intensity for the summer festival masses. Grander, glossier, hypercharged with less subtleties than Shrines, it’s so damn easy to digest — in fact, it’s too easy to swallow. A majority of the tracks, including “bodyache,” “push pull” and “begin again” will likely be picked up for film, television and corporate advertising over the next few years, and it will work for them. Purity Ring’s second record is just a tad too sugary-sweet and overproduced for my taste, but their live show might benefit from it. -Mike Frash
3 BAMS // Top Song: “bodyache”
The new Purity Ring album is strong. Megan James’ vocals glide effortlessly over the lush, synth-heavy instrumentation provided by partner in crime Corin Roddick. I appreciate the lack of abrasive beats and spastic sounds that can sometimes be so prevalent on electro-dance albums. Purity Ring is offering a more steadfast approach, keeping a pace that is just right for a coding session (which is what I was doing while listening to the album). I almost get the sense that this is a sort of concept album but not based on the lyrics — it’s more about the pulse/rhythm. -Andrew Pohl
3.5 Bams // Top Song: “begin again”
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Matthew E. White – “Rock & Roll is Cold” from Fresh Blood
Will Butler – “Anna” from Policy
Sharp is the best way I can describe this new album; at least compared to it’s predecessor. Shrines felt like a smooth river; a few ripples sure, but it’s a general calm ride. Was it always quiet? No, but it’s loud moments felt like silk against skin and each song moved into the next easily. Another Eternity starts off with a kick and never exactly calms down. But this leads to it feeling a bit rough around the edges. Songs aren’t as memorable or hooky as in Shrines, I never get the feeling like I want to go back to half of them. The songs that work really work, but I got the feeling like this albums desperately needed time to calm down. Time to breathe.
3/5 – Roy Scopazzi