#1 - Purity Ring - Heartsigh
Let's face it. If I had known about Purity Ring in 2012 when "Shrines" was released, the song "Crawlersout" would have probably been top 3, and if the album had qualified for 2013, it would have almost certainly been the runner up to Surfer Blood's "Demon Dance". But, I didn't find the album until almost a year after it was released, when the artist name and song titles caught me eye. The best anecdote I have for the electronica duo is that I got their album around the same time that I purchased the game "Warhammer 40k: Space Marine". I would be playing through levels, slaying orcs and jamming to Purity Ring. Therefor, "Shrines" became my orc-slayer music, and I would always find myself listening to them when I was playing later multiplayer levels and such. It was a bizarre combination, but the band stuck with me for the next year as well, with the songs "Fineshrine" and "Crawlersout" being staples of my life.
Anyways, I was super excited to hear that a new Purity Ring album was coming in 2015 and jumped out of my seat when I heard the first single "Push Pull". The album is absolutely fantastic; a sonic jump forward from "Shrines", with extra fancy polish and glitter. Even more so was I shocked when our local alternative station CD 102.5 played "Stranger than Earth" on one of their programs, and ended up picking up the track "Bodyache". Sadly, the duo didn't last long on their airwaves, but from the moment I first heard the album I was hooked. Past the aforementioned tracks, the album shines on with songs like "Begin Again", "Repetition" and "Flood on the Floor". The duo is pushed forward by Megan James' high pitched, high volume voice and Corrin Riddick's mastery behind the keys. It is dance-pop at it's finest, and nowhere is it more exemplified than in the opening track of the album.
Aptly, it is once again that opening track that immediately hooks you. Like "Crawlersout" before it, you're immediately hit with a haunting fade-in that leads to a heavy snare drop and pulsing bass. When James' voice comes in, you know that you're in for a truly magical ride. The song is as lovely as the singer is, and I was almost caught off guard by how quickly my mind snapped into this song. It was as if 2015 had already been decided, and this was going to be the only song I needed. Now, before you cry corruption, I must say that that has happened almost every single year, and all of those songs have fallen off the table or burned themselves up far too fast. "Heartsigh" is not that song. I fall in love every time she swoons "Whisk away your heartsigh; bury it in mine" and the keys amplify. The folks at PR were also kind enough to release a music video just six days ago, so you get to enjoy that as well! The video is essentially what you would see if you were watching the duo live and in concert.
Surprisingly, for the first time since Morrissey in 2009, it's a band
that I am actually familiar with who takes the #1 spot. And an album I
was anticipating that took the highest honor of them all. I like it when
all the pieces fall into place like that. This year was closer at the top than any year since the epic Young the Giant-Owl City slugfest of 2011, and this is a fitting ending to what has truly been a wonderful year in Jester One Music! Thanks again! I have one more blog coming in a few days highlighting some other things from the year that was 2015!
Title: Heartsigh
Artist: Purity Ring
Album: Another Eternity
Previous #1s
2014: Cadets - A Drop In The Ocean
2013: Surfer Blood - Demon Dance
2012: Fun. - Some Nights
2011: Young The Giant - My Body
2010: Hockey - Song Away
2009: Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Great song. I love most everything about this song.
ReplyDeleteLove the list. I'll be hitting it up as a playlist soon.