Album Review: Purity Ring - Shrines

Shrines is the debut of fresh-faced Halifax/Montreal electronic duo, Purity Ring. It comes after the Pitchfork-pressed release of singles Ungirthed and Lofticries, and resonates with that original sound with glitches, samples and vocoders taking the forefront in a solid electronic odyssey.

The album has already been dubbed by band and critics alike as 'future-pop'. While electronically and texturally there is an overwhelming sense of the future, at its core it has more of a 'classic' pop structure with clear influences of R&B and '80s hip hop throughout. Opener Crawlersout, with its electronic drums and throbbing bass, is an almost prime example of this, with the track building up to the bold, catchy-yet-innocent sounding chorus. Ungirthed and Lofticries remain true to their original cuts, not receiving the occasional dreaded re-working for an album release. These are clearly the two highlights on the album, with Lofticries bleak delivery still remaining to sound something that is danceable and addictive. Shuck closes the record with a clear Bjork influence shining through; its obscure looped instrumentation and glitch vocals lead into a thunderous resonating drum beat taking the lead. Being the shortest track, it inevitably leaves you wanting more.

Whether future pop is a term plucked out of the air or not, it's hard to deny the instant likability of Shrines. Texturally, it almost feels like a nod as to how far modern instrumentation has come in our day and age. Its minimalist artwork may look misleading, but it's an album sonically rich and addictive throughout. Clearly, Shrines is a sign of something much bigger for this group, and time will tell how far it has the ability to reach.