CD of The Week

Purity Ring faced something of an uphill battle with whatever they were going to release next. The world that they established with 2012's Shrines instantly calcified a genre in a way that could make any attempt to abandon or revisit said world feel like a misstep. Modern contemporaries The xx encountered a similar Catch-22 and subsequent backlash that same year for their own sophomore effort, in fact. Then there's the fact that their former "future pop" is very present now, as everyone from CHVRCHES to Danny Brown to Taylor Swift have co-opted tricks from their bag in some form or another. So Corin Roddick and Megan James try to sidestep that trap by having it both ways on Another Eternity. It's a much poppier, perkier effort than its predecessor while still sounding undeniably like Purity Ring.

Success of the latter no doubt has to do with the evolved chemistry between the duo, who finally recorded together in the studio for the first time. Having clearly grown more comfortable and confident together while touring, they bring some of that live flourish and fluidity to arena-ready new singles "Push Pull" and "Begin Again." Elsewhere, the knowingly named "Repetition" revisits the slithery Shrines of old with a studio sheen that would make Beyonce blush. Where they occasionally stumble is in executing the former. The nocturnal nuance of James' songwriting is sorely missed here. Where she once spun feminist-minded Grimm fairy tales with frightening imagery, her words take on a more universal approach now that attempts accessibility but too often veers towards vague. That said, she sells the hell out of them with a newfound vocal versatility.

Another Eternity likely won't inspire countless artists like Shrines did, but it serves as a nice reminder of why Purity Ring were so inspiring in the first place. It also offers evidence that their evolution is still ongoing, and that they may have another world in them to build yet. If they wanted to snag a bigger audience to join them in it beforehand, that's their right. You can be a part of their audience when Purity Ring plays Union Transferon May 30th.