It appears Edmonton, Alberta has more to show than I had previously claimed with Shout Out Out Out Out. Now, Purity Ring has entered the electronic music scene with their debut album Shrines, and have packed a new punch into the body of modern music.By Basement DJ: Andrew Leider
Megan James and Corin Roddick embody the sound, where the instrumentation is merely pre-produced beats for James to sing seductively sweet vocals over and Roddick to back her up with accenting rhythms. It is entertaining to listen to Roddick's way of bringing club-inspired music to mix with James' harmonious soulful words. Full of hard-hitting bass, fast tapping backups, and easy-going synthesizer resonance, each song is being casually experimented with to find what fits Purity Ring. In addition, not only is her voice capturing, but her lyrics are packed with passionately strong phrases that possibly suggest deeper, personal feelings, like in "Lofticries" where the second verse goes: "Of traits that bleed the gunmen/ Of our pumping, earthly hearts/ Wean our joys in plunder/ Feel our shining teeth/ Bet our hold on happiness." So far, "Obedear" and "Fineshrines" are standing out as the staple tracks of the album, but others like "Crawlersout," "Lofticries," or "Saltkin" could eventually stand out for the band as well. With experimenting bands, it is always hard deciding which track is really the best, so usually it is in the best interest of the listener to take them as they are and find the message the artists are trying to portray. For Purity Ring, I can at least say their message is still incomplete.