Album/EP

PVRIS - EVERGREEN (Album Review)

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Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Jul 9, 2023

7 min read

PVRIS - EVERGREEN
Released: July 14, 2023

Lineup

Lyndsey Gunnulfsen // Vocals and Guitar

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After three albums and a whirlwind of change surrounding the recent musical landscape, it has become increasingly difficult to create a sound blossoming with creativity while also fostering the roots of identity that many people have grown to love. Within their latest album, EVERGREEN, PVRIS have not merely taken this challenge on board, but have used the many aspects of our current climate to create some of the band’s most interesting and dynamic work to date. With an emphasis on engaging soundscapes and inescapable confidence in their own art and story, it is hard not to become engrossed in the eleven tracks the band offers through this album. Indulgent and rich, PVRIS have proved themselves to remain EVERGREEN.

The album opens with ‘I DON'T WANNA DO THIS ANYMORE’, a track that in mere moments introduces you to the overarching energy of this body of work, plunging you straight into the band’s electric and eclectic sound. Filled to the brim with soaring synth and instrumental fusions, there is never a dull moment to be found within the track, and remains representative of the album's continual reshaping through both vocal and instrumental feats. What clearly also needs no introduction nor warm-up are the powerhouse vocals of PVRIS mastermind, Lyndsey Gunnulfsen. Even at their gentlest, her vocals carry a certain nature of self-assuredness, developed through years of crafting and exploration. More so, they are filled with an unwavering dedication to capturing the attention of those that surround her- a dedication that ceases to let go from this very first track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=OLAK5uy_lhfB4z4w-NqpnPf2yI0qmuVdMibD2TFWI&v=R6HpcbIKTWY

Wasting no time to dive into what the album truly has to offer, track two comes to life in the form of ‘GOOD ENEMY’. Although a previously released single, the song does not lose its spark, and instead becomes one of my personal highlights from EVERGREEN. With a high and addictive tempo, its bouncy beats contrast Gunn’s sultry and deep vocal performance within the verses to create a dynamic that sounds magical. ‘GOOD ENEMY’ culminates in a soaring chorus that upholds the promises of the track's energetic backbone, injecting an insatiable need to move and groove (it truly is a feat to remain still during this song)! With solid guitars holding throughout, as well as an anthemic ring to it, ‘GOOD ENEMY’ propels you into the peak of PVRIS’ newfound title of pop-powerhouses.

If we were to talk about prevalent features within this album, the first word to come to mind would have to be attitude. A feeling that comes together as a musical entity but is amplified through the vocals of Gunnulfsen, it is impossible not to feel the sass, boldness, and warranted audacity throughout each track on this album. Aptly, these feelings perhaps come to their peak within ‘GODDESS’, channelling rock and rage within divine feminine energy.

The middle chunk of EVERGREEN displays some of the most intriguing of the tracks within the album, continuing to elaborate on their sound and creative styles, not merely fizzling to fillers as the minutes span on. Both ‘ANIMAL’ and ‘HYPE ZOMBIES’ share a mesmerizing partnership, alluring with their dark and all-consuming nature. Jarring at times, both their soundscapes offer no room to escape, instead battering all sense in the most divine way possible. However, it is once again the contrasting juxtaposition between the dark and deep instrumentals and Lynn’s grunty but smooth vocals that steal the show. Prevalent in these tracks, it creates a dichotomy that helps carry EVERGREEN's developing story- one of aggression, power, female rage, and self-assurance. Represented as elements that can co-exist with the fragility of vulnerability, these tracks become of particular note to the album's cause.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFc8QOr8WWc&list=OLAK5uy_lhfB4z4w-NqpnPf2yI0qmuVdMibD2TFWI

‘TAKE MY NIRVANA’ and ‘SENTI-MENTAL’ find their strengths in the endurance of their soundscapes. Singular moments, a particular note, all aim to build something beyond a classic beat, but create a mood and feeling. ‘TAKE MY NIRVANA’, in particular, is a display of pure hauntingness. Twisted and uncomfortable, it begs you to listen for as long as you can, using these feelings to conjure intrigue and excitement. ‘SENTI-MENTAL’ on the other hand, flourishes in its uniqueness and quirk with instrumentals lathered in personality and flair.

As the album leaps toward its conclusion, so too does it descend into a greater feeling of darkness, honing into more intimate and restricted instrumentals. Instead, this leaves the vocals of Gunn in an almost empty field, giving her direct clearance to flourish vocally. Her performance in ‘HEADLIGHTS’ is one of fantasy-like proportions, channelling her inner siren to perform a delicate and moving piece that refuses to disengage at any point. Awe-inspiring and hypnotizing, this track has become one I keep returning to (and it likely is the spell of Lynn).

Through its eleven tracks, EVERGREEN creates a listening experience that extends far beyond your earphones, but creates a colourful, inspiring and somewhat tangible listening environment that surrounds and comforts you throughout its duration. With experimentation and confidence that permeates through each distinctive sound, PVRIS have honed in on their sense of craftsmanship to create unique feelings and responses within the album. Travelling through rage to moments of solitude, EVERGREEN is a gracious release of raw emotion and real connection, tangled in the vines of pop and alt influences.