Album review: Purity Ring, Another Eternity

Corin Roddick and Megan James of Purity Ring. Photo / Getty Images

Passion Pit making out with The xx while Ellie Goulding films things quietly in the corner.

Yes, Purity Ring's 2012 debut spanned divides thanks to the chirpy samples, bass-heavy beats and synth-driven choruses of stunners like Fineshrine and Lofticries.

Beloved by indie kids, dance DJs and rappers alike, there's plenty of pressure on the follow-up - and Another Eternity doesn't disappoint. The emotionally intense second offering from Canadian duo Megan James and Corin Roddick takes a darker turn, swapping throbbing dance beats for something far more intense.

Watch the music video for Push Pull by Purity Ring:

Try the gothic grind of Stranger Than Earth, which morphs from a gentle ballad into a storm of pulsating beats and synths, or Sea Castle, which erupts with a grimy flourish and a soaring chorus among the album's best.

It takes a sinister lyrical turn, too. "I cried till my body ached" weeps James over the grinding synths of Bodyache, while on opener Heart Sigh, a desperate and disturbing love song that is strangely uplifting, she sings: "I'll build a house around you, stir a moat until you drown."

Intoxicating and addictive in equal measures, Purity Ring have delivered a twisted headphone masterpiece well worth investing in.

Artist: Purity Ring
Album: Another Eternity
Label: 4AD

Verdict: Synth-pop duo dig deeper on album No. 2

- TimeOut