Originally members of the band Gobble Gobble (now called Born Gold), vocalist Megan James and producer Corin Roddick released their debut record as Canadian synthpop duo Purity Ring, Shrines, in 2012 to critical acclaim. Three years later, they’ve returned with its follow-up, Another Eternity. Having minimal exposure to their previous material, I was initially taken back by their similarities to Scottish synthpop trio CHVRCHES upon listening to this record. With more listens, however, I began to realize that the issues I had with the aforementioned group were nonexistent with Purity Ring. The monotony and inaccessibility of CHVRCHES’ debut, The Bones of What You Believe, was nowhere to be found on Another Eternity. Rather, it was quite the opposite.

Opening track “Heartsigh” is radiant and highly-layered. The drum programming blends well with Megan’s vocals and the piano & synths. While short, it leaves the listener intrigued. Following track “Bodyache” is in a similar vein as “Heartsigh” but will also leave the listener satisfied. Megan expands her vocal range a little more while Corin’s ambient and clever production fills in the gaps. The vocals and clap-like percussion in the chorus sync up quite well to create an instantly memorable hook. It borders on being radio-friendly but avoids the monotony of today’s EDM. An absolute highlight. “Push Pull” begins with James’ vocals fed through a drone-like filter over Roddick’s sparse drum work and synthesizers. The juxtaposition of the vocals in a 4/4 time signature with the rest of the track in a 6/8 time gives it a slightly disjointed feel that works in the record’s favor.

“Repetition” follows at a tempo similar to “Heartsigh” but manages to come across as softer and more minimal than its predecessor, mainly because of the warm synth work in the background. Megan’s lyricism has the possibility of being overlooked due to Corin’s production work but it’s one of my favorite elements of the record, and this track is no exception as she sings “Watching me is like watching a fire take your eyes from you”. “Stranger Than Earth” starts out just as minimal as the previous track in its first half but builds to a more layered second half. The build in question might sound similar to mainstream EDM initially, but the synth line used is soon layered over the original chorus to give the track a more complete feel. “Begin Again” might be my favorite track on the record. The overall chord progressions and trip-hop beat play out better than one might expect. The airy piano work combined with Corin’s synths gives the song a grandiose feel that’s a nice change of pace from the record’s aforementioned minimal tracks. “Dust Hymn” might come across as a contemporary hip-hop track at first with its initial drum programming and synths, but it’s not quite different from “Stranger Than Earth” in the long run.

Yet another highlight, “Flood On the Floor” features Megan’s best vocal work on the record, especially during the chorus. It’s slightly-autotuned for effect but it sounds incredible when combined with Corin’s trip-hop drums and synths. “Sea Castle” follows and features more superb lyricism and vocal work. While the track is the key of G minor, Megan sings a C sharp instead of a D in the chorus that further intrigues the listener. “Stillness In Woe” closes Another Eternity in the best way possible. Incorporating elements of every previous track, it winds the record down in a melodic and multi-layered fashion. The percussion isn’t as loud as the rest of the album but its absence helps the track from becoming overbearing.

I’ve come to enjoy synthpop a lot more than I used to. What used to feel like an unwanted hybrid of radio pop and electronic music has become an art form of its own. Another Eternity is what I would consider a perfect synthpop record. It’s well-rooted in both traditionalism and modernity; following a (sadly) fleeting model of what an album (or body of work) should be while maintaining its accessibility to multiple audiences. There’s no filler present on this album. Everything about it just feels right, with every new listen building my anticipation for the day I finally dive into Shrines (which will happen quite soon). Don’t pass this record up. Purity Ring have crafted a masterpiece of an album.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr5mtKSbd7M[/youtube]

Score: 5/5

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