Megan James’ distinctively airy vocals have always felt like they’ve belonged to some kind of fantasy world. With Edmonton electropop duo Purity Ring returning with their first full-length in five years, the band’s sonic landscape is catching up more than ever. Inspired by video games and featuring videos where James and multi-instrumentalist Corin Roddick step into cartoon avatars going on a journey to bring more kindness to a chaotic world, the project is meant to evoke the story structure of a traditional RPG.

With flourishes of cascading, ghostly synths throughout, it often feels like James is singing over something directly ripped from a Final Fantasy or Zelda soundtrack. The wistful fantasy feel isn’t just limited to video games, either – the closing track, a dedication to Ryuichi Sakamoto, prompted some frantic Googling to see if it was a Spirited Away sample (turns out, it’s just an immaculately matched vibe).

The tracks often explode into breakbeats and all-encompassing flourishes of sound as the dramatic tension rises and falls – from the menu screen, to the first conflicts, to the exploration leading to the final boss fight, but at the centre of each track is a catchy pop chorus. It’s a pretty uniform instrumental sound throughout, but it still feels like a journey with twists and turns, marking the work of a talented producer. As the story comes to an end, it feels like the same satisfaction of grinding for hours and finally beating that challenging video game.