PVRIS release new EP

This past Friday, New England originating trio PVRIS released their new EP Hallucinations. Springing out a little over two years after their last release, 2017’s All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell, this new EP entails a different direction for the group. PVRIS’ usual spine-chilling vibe is still felt throughout the five songs, but with a more positive outlook and poppier sound.

Opening with the title track Hallucinations, the EP starts off similar to many other PVRIS songs. It contains a mesmerizing guitar and harp mixture, that can be felt throughout the song. Into the chorus, you can immediately hear the difference in sound from their previous records. Going into a much higher register than she had on previous PVRIS work, vocalist Lynn Gunn captivates with her roaring voice. This is a constant throughout the EP, and is a welcomed addition.

One of the first things that jumped out at me about Nightmare was the groovy bassline. I really enjoy the sonic elements of this song, the guitars and synths and vocals all compliment one another so well. The guitars within this song reminded me of the guitars in My House, mainly due to their prominence in the track. This song resides within a creepy, yet fun energy. It definitely has a summer, “windows down, music up” type of vibe.

Hallucinations contains many pop elements, like tighter drums and more prominent synths. Death Of Me is a soaring example of these. The track itself is opened by a tight drum beat, setting a tone for the rest of the song. Another prominent part of this song is the guitar. I personally really enjoyed that part of the song, as I felt it was placed very well, and really shows the steady balance of real instruments/electronic ones that PVRIS are known for.

Things Are Better has a much drearier vibe. It immediately reminded me of one of the b-sides from White Noise, Empty, due to its atmospheric vibe. In the lyrical content of this song, Lynn explains that she is her own person, not just “Lynn from PVRIS”, and that she’s begun to heal. She explains that she’s sorry, but that she doesn’t want to suffer just give into the “tortured artist” stereotype.

Differing from the rest of the Hallucinations with it’s slower drums and simplistic instruments, Old Wounds sets an unsettling vibe. The simplicity of the instruments that the majority of this song carry really adds a lot, they help focus on the vocals/lyrical content. With this final track, Lynn speaks about struggling with having a relationship with someone who isn’t ready for one. Much of this track is centered around the vocals, which I feel really works for it. The track closes out with screams and light harps, ending the EP with a completely different vibe than it was opened with.

Review By: Emma Bick