Edmonton, Alberta-based electronic pop band Purity Ring will be performing tonight, October 26th, 2021, at 9 pm at the Hollywood Theatre. Purity Ring was formed back in 2010. The band consists of multi-instrumentalist/producer Corin Riddick and Vocalist Megan James. In 2012 they released their debut album; Shrines to critical acclaim followed by Another Eternity in 2015.
Purity Ring’s latest album, WOMB, was made in 2020. This 10-track album of synth-pop focuses on a coming-of-age. From the theme of blood on the track: “i like the devil”, it stains bedsheets, to ‘femia’, the lyrics describe waking “in a sea of dark liquid”. There is a sexual awakening dawning, as well as a transformation of a brand-new body coming to fruition. Throughout each song, a young woman showcases her budding passion and divine shame, while the synth beats pulse, float, and send the listener into an ethereal world that has trouble stirring in the distance, with each track swelling into something greater.
Throughout my time listening to the album, I began to see this musical journey as a tug-of-war against fighting how to act or deciding to act for ones-self. It is a struggle to let go of the worries of others and get lost in the storm of emotions no matter how terrifying or beautiful they are. I highly recommend listening to this album if you have not heard of it yet.
Although Purity Ring has yet to release another album, they released a single in August of 2021 called Soshy. The single was mixed entirely by the duo, vocalist Megan James and instrumentalist Corin Riddick. In a brief statement, Megan James described the archival music video for ‘soshy’ as “a wraith to descend the summer stairs with. I personally see this music as fading memories that offer some sort of nostalgia with an underlying haunting. Like a thought, you can’t seem to shake. Purity Ring plays tonight at the Hollywood Theatre at 9pm.