After the surge of ethereal electronic bands that arrived in the wake of
Shrines
,
Purity Ring
's
Megan James
and
Corin Roddick
wanted their second album to stand out from the pack. On
Another Eternity
, they do just that -- by becoming more pop. Where
often felt exploratory, this album is direct, possibly because they worked in physical proximity for the first time, choosing Edmonton as a home base.
makes the contrast between
James
' limpid vocals and
Roddick
's thumping beats more distinct, and distinctive, than ever, particularly on the gorgeous "Begin Again." Wedding poetic verses with soaring, insistent choruses that
CHVRCHES
would love to call their own, it's one of
's most immediate songs. However, it isn't a compromise, and as
look to even more popular styles of music for inspiration, they sound more unique. Their R&B and hip-hop leanings are clearer than they were on
, and on tracks like "Repetition," which sounds equally alien and sensual, and "Stranger Than Earth," where rattling, trap-inspired beats add some friction, they're also more creative. And while
are no longer online collaborators, they still play with the dualities of virtual and real, physical and spiritual on
. Song titles like "Push Pull" and phrases like "veins growing slow" nod to
' fascination with bodily imagery on
, and her crystalline, perhaps slightly processed vocals have a more-human-than-human vulnerability that gives "Heartsigh" a hyperreal poignancy. It all comes together brilliantly on "Bodyache," a wish for intimacy to a music-box melody and synths that sparkle like tears -- or stars.
remains true to what makes
special by refining it, and proves that they can challenge themselves and deliver their most accessible work yet. ~ Heather Phares