Although just two records into their career, Purity Ring have already carved out a comfortable and unique groove for themselves in the electro-pop landscape. The Canadian duo of Megan James (vocals) and Coring Roddick (instrumentals) are apt at weaving together a dream-like digi-quilt of synth and vocals which feel equally at home on the dance floor as it does pumped through the plushest of headphones.
Another Eternity, the group’s second record takes this recipe and makes it bolder and more expansive and while there aren’t any new ingredients here, the overall result is an exaggerated and amplified take on their basic sound. The screaming synths reaching more euphoric heights, the chasm-like bass reaching greater depths and James’ vocals twisting closer to breaking point than 2012’s Shrine. If there’s any traceable change in composition, it’s the subtle introduction of a hip-hop sentiment in the beat and bass construction of tracks like ‘Redemption’ and in the bouncing chorus of ‘Bodyache’.
This understated urban infusion shouldn’t come as a surprise given the bands recent collaborations, album appearances and production credits with the likes of Danny Brown and Ab-Soul but it is a welcome addition to the band’s repertoire and is perhaps directly responsible for Another Eternity’s noticeable increase in scale and ambition. While they haven’t exactly reinvented the wheel here, this is both a refined and amplified Purity Ring record with enough highlights and just enough progression in sound to make it a massively enjoyable album.
