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[one_half last=”yes”]PURITY RING
Another Eternity
Release-Date: 02.03.2015
Label: 4AD
Tracklist:
01. heartsigh
02. bodyache
03. push pull
04. repetition
05. stranger than earth
06. begin again
07. dust hymn
08. flood on the floor
09. sea castle
10. stillness in woe
NBHAP Rating: 3/5
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Internet killed the radio star
The concepts of music genres have stumped both music journalists and listeners as of late. Influences from semi-social-semi-platform sites like Tumblr and Instagram have allowed various subcultures to mingle, eventually giving birth to certain cultivated aesthetics such as vapor-wave, future garage and witch house. The lesson learnt is this: you can be ahead of the current trends, but you still have to maintain relevance. In 2011, PURITY RING‘s Shrines was the perfect example of this mantra. Like how Armin van Buuren and others introduced electronic music to band-dominated festivals, PURITY RING introduced the concept of ‘Internet music’ to the airwaves. Their concept was exactly similar to how they executed it: via the interwebs. With Corin Roddick living in Montreal and Megan James in Halifax, the duo communicated through the Internet, providing layers after layers that culminated in PURITY RING.
Present future pop
And this time they even recorded the album together in one studio as they recently told NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION. As the distinction between pop and ‘future pop’ started to inch closer, another eternity seems to embrace it wholeheartedly. sea castle, begin again and push pull seemed ready for mainstream radio play – easy to follow choruses, simple lyrics and catchy synth-driven melodies, even a little hint of Autotune on stillness in woe. Although PURITY RING managed to weave into mainstream pop seamlessly while still maintaining their original concept (it is surprising to discover how easy it is to identify them out of the whole bevy of imitators), they took one step back in terms of innovation and originality
One step forward, two steps back
The chorus of flood on the floor is strikingly similar to bodyache. One can say that consistency is the thread to hold the entire album together as one, however, without deviation, the listener would not follow the album through. PURITY RING‘s foray into mainstream pop can be stated as relatively successful, but probably it would be more significant if they would entwine themselves with that concept, instead of retreating within themselves and straddling the fine line once again. A bit more bravery next time and the future of pop could indeed belong to these two Canadians.
‘Another Eternity,’ the second PURITY RING longplayer sees the duo returning to former strength but lacking the innovative spirit of their debut ‘Shrines.’
NBHAP presents: Purity Ring on tour
12.04.2015 – DE – Cologne – Gebäude 9
13.04.2015 – DE – Berlin – Postbahnhof
21.04.2015 – DE – Hamburg – Gruenspan
22.04.2015 – DE – Munich – Strom
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