I like unconventional pop music. Music that makes you tap your feet but think at the same time. Music that takes the sugary sweet goodness of pop and pushes it in new directions. Bands like Animal Collective, the Knife, Sleigh Bells and Gang Gang Dance fit this criteria. They each harness a pop blueprint and contort it into something original by experimenting with voice manipulation, song structure, splicing genres and the sounds they can get out of their instruments. It’s exciting because it’s unusual.

While the aforementioned bands have already established themselves within the music world, I’d just like to draw your attention to an emerging outfit named Purity Ring who are making pop music with a difference.

Purity Ring are a Canadian duo made up of Megan James, 23, and Corin Roddick, 20. Megan is a trained pianist who has been penning lyrics since she was 16-years-old while Corin Roddick is an experienced drummer and former touring member of Gobble Gobble.

Although they formed only a year ago, Purity Ring are already causing excited chatter amongst underground music circles for their glitchy electro tunes that are wrapped up in Roddick’s glossy beats and James’ haunting vocals. They remind me a little bit of Crystal Castles and the Knife, with their artificial soundscapes and frequently inhuman sounding vocals, while maintaining the kind of dream-pop charm and ambiance that makes a band like Beach House so appealing.

Of the three songs that they’ve released, `Lofticries’ is my favourite. It’s a dark pop song with heaving synthesizers, glistening keys and ghostly vocals. It’s also the b-side on the Purity Ring 7” alongside `Ungirthed’ (the other song they’ve released is `Belispeak’, which is set for release on a split 7” with Braids). But don’t just rely on my adjectives to convey the brilliance of this band, check out the retro-tinged unofficial video for `Lofticries’ and link to download a couple of their songs below.

Download Purity Ring’s `Lofticries’ and `Ungirthed’

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