'Evergreen' by PVRIS
Once presented as a band, PVRIS is now openly the musical project of a single figure—Lyndsey Gunnulfsen, also known as Lynn Gunn—and the collaborators who help blur the distinctions between indie-rock sensibility and mainstream-pop desire.
With the fourth PVRIS full-length, Evergreen, Gunnulfsen most frequently collaborates with JT Daly, another indie-rock type who helped her on the third PVRIS full-length, 2020’s Use Me. But she pushes her ambitions further forward with the opening track, “I Don’t Wanna Do This Anymore,” co-produced and co-written with Doja Cat regular Y2K.
That opener’s vacuum-sealed beats, electronically filtered vocals, and darkwave synth washes indicate that PVRIS is ready to slide in alongside Ava Max’s fondness for seduction via spurning, and the following track, “Good Enemy,” handled mostly with Matias Mora, combines Goth-rock bass and overcranked guitar riffs to create a sugary snarl not unlike that of Charli XCX.
Leaning more into hyper-processed modern rock with Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, Gunnulfsen almost cracks a smile while the rhythm on the chorus of “Take My Nirvana” hint at the sound of Nevermind, even as she sings as if she’s paying homage to the hip-hop she and Halsey (just a year younger than Gunnulfsen, 29) digested alongside classic grunge.
PVRIS isn’t above trends, either: “Senti-Mental” [sic], co-created with Joywave’s Daniel Armbruster, exemplifies modern pop’s addiction to pitch-shifted vocals that add a teeth-gritted dash of annoyance to any listening experience.
The most pleasing tracks on Evergreen have less to do with choice of collaborator than with a softer approach: the swooning backing voices and simple acoustic guitar of “Anywhere but Here” and the analog intimations of “Headlights” let Gunnulfsen sing more introspectively.
And introspection is within many songs on Evergreen, including the closing title track. It’s there for those who care to burrow down through the big beats and pop desires, which are there for those who don’t wish to go deeper.
|
|
Stream or download Evergreen here on Amazon.
