Purity Ring Purity Ring
Purity Ring's Purity Ring arrives as a vividly imagined, cinematic statement that blends synth-pop evolution with video game and anime-inspired world-building, and critics largely agree it succeeds in its ambitions. Across four professional reviews the record earned an 80.25/100 consensus score, a sign that reviewers found real highs even when some passages read as affectionate pastiche rather than breakthrough reinvention. For anyone searching for a Purity Ring review, the quick verdict is: the album is often transportive and frequently rewarding, anchored by a handful of unmistakable standouts.
Reviewers consistently flag a trio of best songs on Purity Ring as essential entry points. “place of my own” emerges repeatedly for its euphoric synths and yearning hook; “many lives” is praised for regal choral textures, pitch-shifted coos and drum-and-bass rushes; “mj odyssey” earns notice as a cascading, piano-led instrumental that reinforces the RPG-score framing. Critics also highlight “memory ruins” and “red the sunrise” as moments where nostalgic, romantic imagery and breathy, airy vocal styling coalesce into genuinely affecting scenes. Across reviews, themes of grief and healing, transformation, and ecological or fantastical landscapes recur, giving the record a quest-like narrative thrust.
While several critics admired the duo's warm characters and bold production choices, some reviews temper praise with the observation that the record sometimes leans into retro-fetishist production and pastiche. Still, the professional reviews agree the album's strongest tracks make the conceptual gambit worthwhile, and the consensus suggests Purity Ring is worth listening to for listeners drawn to cinematic synth-pop, video game soundtrack textures and romantic, evocative storytelling. Read on for detailed reviews that unpack the album's atmosphere, standout songs and where it sits in the duo's evolving catalog.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
purity ring
1 mention
"A remarkable sense of breathy, airy freshness courses through 'purity ring'"— Clash Music
many lives
2 mentions
"the standout "Many Lives," which contrasts regal choral vocals with the rushing wonder of an anime soundtrack"— AllMusic
mj odyssey
1 mention
"to "MJ Odyssey," a cascading piano instrumental with an earnest melody that will feel instantly familiar to RPG fans"— AllMusic
A remarkable sense of breathy, airy freshness courses through 'purity ring'
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
relict
many lives
part ii
place of my own
red the sunrise
memory ruins
mistral
the long night
imanocean
between you and shadows
mj odyssey
broken well
glacier ::in memory of rs::
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
There is a palpable, wondrous immersion at the heart of Purity Ring's self-titled record; the reviewer writes like someone led through an illustrated dreamscape, and the best songs - notably “red the sunrise” and “place of my own” - crystallize that feeling. The album feels like a Studio Ghibli-meets-Zelda reverie, and tracks such as “red the sunrise” lift you gently from earth to sky while “place of my own” delivers the album's most piercing, romantic images. For listeners searching for the best songs on Purity Ring, these moments are where the duo's warm characters, evocative narratives and bold, futuristic production coalesce into genuinely affecting, soul-stirring highlights.
Key Points
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The best song, "place of my own", is the album's emotional highlight, pairing evocative lyrics with the record's most affecting imagery.
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The album's core strengths are immersive worldbuilding, airy production, and a blend of liquid drum and bass with acoustic textures that produce a poignant, cinematic atmosphere.
Themes
Critic's Take
Purity Ring's self-titled record reads like an RPG score, and the review makes clear which are the best tracks on Purity Ring. The standout “many lives” is praised for its regal choral vocals and anime-like rush, while “mj odyssey” is singled out as a cascading piano instrumental familiar to RPG fans. The review also celebrates “place of my own” for its kinetic, early-2000s energy and notes “relict” as an amniotic prologue that sets the emotional stakes. These choices explain why listeners searching for the best songs on Purity Ring should start with “many lives”, “mj odyssey”, and “place of my own”.
Key Points
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The best song is "many lives" because it pairs regal choral vocals with anime-style wonder, marking it as the album standout.
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The album's core strengths are its vivid RPG-inspired world-building and its use of nostalgia to transform grief into hopeful, cinematic music.
Themes
Critic's Take
The new self-titled record by Purity Ring reads like a wistful tribute to early Aughts game soundtracks, and the best songs on Purity Ring — notably “many lives” and “memory ruins” — are where that nostalgia coheres into real thrills. The reviewer praises “many lives” as the album’s strongest track, citing pitch-shifted coos and thumping D&B that elicit sugar-rush excitement. “Memory ruins” and “between you and shadows” are singled out for their twinkly, propulsive moments. Yet even amid these high points the record often feels like a beautiful pastiche, pleasant but not always emotionally gripping, making the standout songs feel doubly important for listeners seeking the best tracks on Purity Ring.
Key Points
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“many lives” is the best song because its pitch-shifted vocals and thumping D&B deliver the album's most immediate thrills.
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The album's core strength is its nostalgic, game-soundtrack production that creates vivid, retro-fetishist atmospheres even if it sometimes feels emotionally diffuse.
Themes
Critic's Take
Purity Ring's self-titled record feels like a confident leap, and the best tracks make that leap tangible. Chief among them is “place of my own”, whose euphoric synths and yearning hook mark it as one of the best songs on Purity Ring. The review positions the album as cinematic and narrative-driven, so listeners seeking the best tracks on Purity Ring should start with “place of my own” and then explore the songs that fold intimate emotion into sweeping, RPG-like storytelling. Overall the record keeps the duo's ethereal roots while warming their palette, making the standout moments feel both familiar and freshly thrilling.
Key Points
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The best song, "place of my own", exemplifies the album’s euphoric synths and yearning hooks, making it the standout.
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The album's core strengths are its cinematic, narrative-driven scope and a warmer, more vulnerable evolution of Purity Ring's synth-pop.