Exploration of electropop
Electronic pop duo Purity Ring released their latest album titled graves on June 3rd, 2022. Graves is the group’s first full-length project since 2020, having released several singles within that time frame—most of which appear on the album. While this album is on the shorter side with only seven tracks, every song is worth a listen.
The title track “graves” is the album’s opener, and it immediately transports the listener to a dreamy, electropop paradise. It sounds as if Grimes made an anime opening song, and it is excellent. Immediately after the conclusion of “graves” the album transitions to its next song, “neverend.” This is a darker, more intense track that starts with chopped-up, distorted vocals. Despite the slightly darker sound, the vocals are still airy and high, creating an interesting contrast between the instrumental and the vocal lines. This track has a different vibe from the first track, but the similarity in the vocals helps them flow together.
Up next is “nthingsfine,” an eerie, short track with heavily distorted vocals. While much more ominous than the previous tracks, it serves as a nice interlude and changes the pace of the album. The synthesizer sounds almost out of tune and feels a bit uncomfortable to listen to. Given the title and lyrics, though, it’s not supposed to be a comfortable song. Rather, it is off-putting in a good way and fully expresses the lead singer’s emotions. Then, the tracklist does a complete 180 into “unlucky,” a bouncy, gentle track about—as the title suggests—being unlucky. This is another upbeat, light track similar to the beginning of the album.
Well into the second half of the album, “watersong” starts off a bit slower, but the synth lines have an excellent flow. While this track wasn’t released as a single, it could’ve done well as one. This song’s slower, glitchy section elevates it, and it’s a wonderfully cohesive piece.
Track six, “soshy,” was the first single released from this album. It has a vaguely ’80s sound to it, and it’s versatile enough to where it could be added to a variety of playlists or settings. While it remains a bit experimental, its structure is enough to fit into the mainstream and currently has more streams than any song in the album.
“xsalt” is another shorter track, and is the last on the album. It’s a piano ballad with some atmospheric sounds of birds chirping and sounds like it should be played in a spa-like setting. It’s very relaxing, no doubt. It would have been nice to have the album wrap up with another track that has vocals, like the rest of the songs do, but this peaceful track leaves listeners feeling at peace.
Overall, this album is a great exploration of electropop. It is experimental but still palatable for a variety of audiences. While it would’ve been awesome if this project were a bit longer, it works well at the length that it is. This project will surely kickstart a new era for Purity Ring, and it will be exciting to see where their journey goes from here.
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