From the pre-album releases of ‘Lofticries’ and ‘Obedear’, it was easy for the indie-sphere to get excited about Purity Ring. Their sound felt new, exciting, different; a futuristic pop aesthetic which could have been Crystal Castles without the meth, or The xx with meth.

Thematically, Shrines deals in abstract fantasies; it’s subject matter which (sadly) would lend itself well to some semblance of sonic variance. They paint a landscape which is bathed in a creeping, brooding aura by lush synths and pitch-shifted echoes.

Ultimately, Shrines does not live up to the hype. That’s not to say it’s a bad album—it isn’t. But, for all the promise Shrines offered the 11-track album comes up 6 or so tracks short. It sounds all too similar from track to track, and while for some albums this is not a major failing, it is here. Were Shrines an EP, it would be outstanding. But it’s not, and it isn’t.

2/5