PVRIS “Use Me” Album Review

Ever since the release of their debut album White Noise in 2014, synth-pop connoisseurs PVRIS have maintained a refined style that is easily accessible to both mainstream and alternative audiences. With their third album, Use Me, frontwoman Lynn Gunn has stepped further into the spotlight than ever before, wearing her heart on her sleeve to craft a sound that mirrors her most vulnerable sides. For eleven somber yet danceable tracks, we see the tender process of her fathoming her romantic experiences, as well as making peace with them and mentally preparing to move forward.

Opening with the antsy “Gimme a Minute”, turbulent instrumentals and vocal dynamics bring to life the sounds of erratic thought patterns. Lynn described it in her interview with Apple Music, stating that “sonically, the song emulates that stirring stress and anxiety, and it eventually leads to this explosive breakdown and the ultimate freak-out.” The escalation into this “freak-out” gives a preview of different energies and tones that are expressed throughout the album. Many other parallels are drawn between the lyrics and instrumentals, including the catchy beats and melancholy harmonies of “Good to Be Alive”. With the simple yet clever refrain “Feels good to be alive but I hate my life”, the catchy beats reflect the optimistic part of the line while the melancholy harmonies reflect the pessimistic part. And then there’s “January Rain”, which, despite its title, evokes a feeling of a rainy day in the springtime with its gloomy yet catchy vocal motifs and harmonies.

Lynn puts more grit into her pipes for “Dead Weight” as she sings about the emotional toll taken from always putting others before herself, and having her caring nature taken advantage of. The stuttering “all give, no take” hook is enough to make it single-worthy. The other singles, “Death of Me” and “Hallucinations”, have a dark dance-pop sound and striking choruses that made them instant PVRIS classics when they were first released last year with the Hallucinations EP.

On the darkest side of the album is “Old Wounds”, about having an all-or-nothing mentality with someone and a willingness to get hurt by them multiple times. The distorted synths and ghostly vocal effects form a chilling, almost supernatural effect to amplify the underlying hysteria. Lynn finishes the song with an eerie, crescendo-ing scream that echoes out over an ethereal harp. This ends the track with its harshest facet ringing out over its most graceful, with the contrasting tones simulating the contradicting emotions felt when loving someone who has caused you pain.

The tone takes a brief shift from synths and effects to light acoustic guitars for the downhearted “Loveless”, where Lynn sings of admitting defeat. She delivers a moving performance with her higher register, and the lyrics don’t fall short one bit. Lines like “I gave you tears when you wanted emotion / Said it was love, so I cried out an ocean for you” and “Every bit, every empty affection / Turned around to be used as a weapon” make this the most heart-rending moment on the album. It is a surrender to her underlying emotions, but in a constructive way to achieve a sense of release after saying what needed to be said. The title track has this sense of release as well, bluntly comparing the physical and emotional comfort of a lover to taking medicine or drugs. Lynn and feature 070 Shake harmonize for the chorus, “You can use all of me / Take a hit, baby, breathe”, encapsulating the album’s themes of codependency, with soothing guitar and harp adding a dreamy undertone.

PVRIS’s lighter side shines in “Stay Gold”, utilizing everything from sleek guitar tones and hand claps to symphonic layerings of different synth effects. The bright energy is similar to that of the album closer “Wish You Well”. Bassist Brian MacDonald delivers some extra tasty, grooving basslines in this song that make it harder than ever to resist dancing, while Lynn sings about letting go and wishing her ex well – a stimulating way to end a dark synth-pop record about love and loss.

At its core, Use Me is a dynamic representation of a passionate soul processing heartbreak, but ultimately identifying the toxic proclivities endured throughout the relationship. During a trying time when means for distraction and escape are highly limited, PVRIS have provided a cathartic collection of songs that cover every shade of lamentation, with something for everyone to relate to. Each track portrays a different stage of grief, all while sustaining the signature shadowy, whirling groove that the band is known and loved for.

Favorite tracks: Good to Be Alive, Old Wounds