I mentioned that Purity Ring's debut album, Shrines, was released a few weeks ago, and after eagerly waiting for it to come out for what felt like ages, I finally purchased it!
Was it every bit as amazing as the singles that preceded it? I'm glad to say that, yes, it really was! But it was in a different way than I expected. It was more subtle than I anticipated, being delicate and dreamlike, but also confident and dark, like the musical fluctuation of dreams and nightmares intertwined. The childlike vocal of Megan James only adds to this effect, spouting somewhat grotesque lyrics pertaining to the fantastical and longings of love.
Purity Ring's penchant for merging and creating new words (or 'neologisms!' - hooray for the English student in me!) continues here, for example, 'Crawlersout', the opening track for the album, striking the perfect balance between moody and epiphanous, although, after looking up the lyrics
(here, bottom of the page) I can confirm that even my metaphorical and poetic mind struggles to decipher any deeper meaning from this! All of the previous singles, 'Ungirthed', 'Berlispeak' and the viral hit 'Lofticries', are present on the album, and rightly so. The first and second singles from the album, 'Obedear' and '
Fineshrine', both polarise Purity Ring's musical spectrum, the first being more subtle, the second practically the most upbeat track on the album, and both equally as fascinating. And that's a word best used to describe Purity Ring, as the sound they create and the lyrics they write are nothing if not unique and usual.
I'd definitely say that
Shrines is one of the most hyped and anticipated albums of the year, and rightly so! It's definitely worth a listen, and even if (somehow!) this is your first time hearing of Purity Ring, I would definitely recommend you give it a try! As for touring, the band are currently on a tour of the States, Canada, UK and Europe, hitting the UK for London, Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow dates in late November!
