Canadian electronic two-some Purity Ring are something of a contradiction.
On the one hand, the vocals on 'Another Eternity' are a sugary confection and some of the drum loops sound like they were made using equipment bought at Poundland. On the other hand, their tracks often carry a dark and brooding mood, and their spacious, minimalist arrangements wouldn't sound out of place underneath a Kendrick Lamar verse.
The strangest thing of all is that this unlikely concoction largely works. The dichotomy between light and shade brings a gravitas and relatability to Purity Ring's music that means it avoids both the hyper-colour harshness of PC Music's roster and the substance-less exercises in reverb that characterised the chillwave boom.
With more revealed in every listen, 'Another Eternity' shows that there's much more to Purity Ring than initially meets the eye.
8/10
Words: Joe Rivers
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