The electronic music scene is one that is both over-inflated and underwhelming. The radio is saturated with mediocre dance music and mechanical dubstep. The Canadian duo, Purity Ring, throws their hat into the ring with their debut album Shrines.
The first element of Purity Ring is, undoubtedly, the ambient electronic composition of beats and background elements blended perfectly by Corin Roddick. The second element, and perhaps the most important, is Megan James' sweet and eerie vocals. Her voice meshes perfectly with each track, creating a sound that is both soothing and haunting.
The juxtaposition of James' disturbingly dark lyrics against the often up-beat electronic tracks make Purity Ring a breath of fresh air in a stagnant genre. The song "Crawlersout" features these words: "They'll weave their own souls / into the frame to grow their foliage in / They'll sew their own hands / into their beds to keep them crawlers out". James' lyrics aren't simply dark for the sake of being creepy or weird - there's a message to each song. "Crawlersout" talks about people doing anything to keep their secrets from coming to light.
Listening to Shrines is like taking a walk through the forest at dusk. There's just enough light to see the trees, to take joy in the wonder of nature. Night is just close enough for the shadows to creep in, to remind you that you're not alone. The darkness is almost tangible, you feel as though you could reach out and touch it. Shrines reminds you that there's something waiting for you in that darkness.
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