PVRIS has never produced a bad song. But, this doesn’t mean they haven’t run into any problems over the past few years.
During the tour for their previous record, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell, front-woman Lynn Gunn was plagued by a mysterious pain in her ribs and hips and had trouble getting out of bed. Later, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and ankylosing spondylitis. This prompted a long period of dormancy for the band, during which she has been recovering: as a result, she has taken the helm for PVRIS’ third record, Use Me, recording all instruments herself and developing the band’s distinctive style, which defies genre.
It’s also been a long time coming: three years in the making and then postponed twice. Firstly, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and secondly, to avoid self-promotion during the riots after the murder of George Floyd.
Stepping into the spotlight
Activism is a large part of PVRIS’ process, and as part of their promotion of Use Me, they have collaborated with NOT FOR THEM, designing a t-shirt which raises funds for Southern Fried Queer Pride. Gunn has been open about her sexuality for a long time – when she left for her first tour, she left an envelope under her mother’s pillow coming out to her as gay. As a result, PVRIS has become a safe place for the LGBT+ community, witness to many a proposal and coming-out.
Since the beginning, Gunn has been a dynamic frontwoman, but this record marks her willingness to step more into the spotlight, having battled through struggles with depression, her diagnoses and her voice. The album strays closer and closer to pop, away from the alternative-rock they made their name in.
While PVRIS’ first two albums were full of reverbing vocals and defiance, Use Me feels celebratory. It’s a testament to self-love and actualisation. They’ve maintained their brand of soaring choruses and atmospheric synthesisers, but this record is destined for the dancefloor. ‘Gimme A Minute’, the first song on the record describes Gunn’s recovery and mental process throughout the past few years. Despite the darkness of the lyrics – “Wide awake / Just cut the head off of a snake” – the song is energetic and unexpected.
‘Mesmerising’
Use Me is a collection of new songs and ones used in the Hallucinations EP, which came out in 2019. ‘Dead Weight’, with its’ mesmerising music video, remains a highlight as the lead single: it discusses a toxic, one-sided relationship. This isn’t just a song about a romantic relationship – it’s about taking up space and setting boundaries in all areas of one’s life, and learning that platonic, familial and working relationships can also be toxic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4iyEXDStgk
Despite the decidedly dark origins of the new album, Use Me is a get-up-and-dance album. Even when she’s saying that she hates her life, but it’s good to be alive, Lynn Gunn is inspirational. Use Me, the title track, is her first collaboration with another artist. It features experimental rapper 070 Shake, and is another demonstration of how a remarkable artist is learning, growing and evolving right before our eyes. There’s pain in the past, but there’s joy in the future for PVRIS.
Maddy Raven
Featured image courtesy of Warner Records Inc.
