Canadian band Purity Ring’s vocalist Megan James claims that she always, always has a needle and thread on her person. She justifies this by stating that she needs to have them on her because she always tends to rip her clothes (which seem to consist largely of cashmere sweaters). This fact alone is enough to cement the band’s indie quirk cred and could unfortunately put them in danger of being stereotyped as a gentle and sweet group. And indeed in some ways they are.
James’ voice is a gentle coo that could evoke comparisons to the vocal styling’s of fellow dream pop and dub contemporaries like Au Revoir Simone. Corin Roddick, the other member of Purity Ring, creates an aura of sound that could be held up to the production present on albums from artists such as Grimes.
The difference between Purity Ring and other bands that occupy the dream pop and dub step realm, is that on their debut album Shrines they confidently project their ability to blend the aspects of dream pop and dub step, making for a record that walks a tightrope between dark and endearing. It may prove to be better to consume the album as an experience rather than a set of tracks, the reason being that the album creates an atmosphere that can be best defined through its unique and admittedly odd cover art. Roddick is able to strip away the stereotypes of somberness that commonly plague the genre that the band has found themselves in and create a unique combination of genre elements. The album does not find the band trying to create a set of loud, bombastic dance tracks as much as it sees them create an album that is more conceptual in nature.
The lyrics on the album all emit a sort of ambient nature. On “Cartographist” James sings, “Grow ancient gardens, the paths that you found in me, peel off the weight that you held from the start of me,” as if she’s trying to craft a sort of fantasy epic between herself and an unnamed being. It’s these kinds of lyrics that create a theme that runs through the album that is as endearing as it is sort of downtrodden. The songs lean back and forth throughout the album between dream pop and dub step qualities. Roddick gives the songs a somewhat dark and jolted edge while James’ vocals lift them up and create a sound that is very much its own.
In the years that indie rock has largely switched over from being defined by distorted guitars to electronic music we have come to have the opportunity to witness a movement in music that is continuing to grow. With Shrines, Purity Ring’s unique approach proves to be a contribution to a new sound that will be interesting to watch unfold.