Article by: Courtney Drake
Featured Image Cred: Emma Swann
PVRIS, an alternative band hailing from Boston, finally released their highly anticipated album All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell on August 25th. In late April of this year, the band ghosted their social media account and deleted all of its content, apparently to signify their rebirth as artists during the 3 year gap separating the release of their debut album White Noise and AWKOHAWNOH.
The alt-rock trio wastes no time at all, immediately tugging at the listener’s heartstrings with the opening track, “Heaven.” This entire record features soft and simultaneously pronounced electronic vibes that are reminiscent of their debut album, especially “What’s Wrong,” despite the spectacle of rebirth playing a large role in the promotion cycle. Even so, it showcases the difference in the two albums as well, making it incredibly difficult to put into words. Perhaps it’s nostalgic…yet unfamiliar.
We are also immersed in the muted echoes and gentle and occasionally guttural quality of front-woman Lynn Gunn’s voice, which long time PVRIS fans will definitely recognize from White Noise. There is more repetition throughout these songs (some repeat lines anywhere from 5-10 times) than I remember from White Noise, but oddly enough it does not seem to take away from the lyrical quality of the tracks. PVRIS has always been known for their dark and eerie undertones and subject matter; All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell is no exception. While songs like “Heaven” and “Separate” definitely showcase these factors the most in terms of the sound/vibe of the tracks, each and every one of them have it, although the others are a bit more loud and poppy.
If you haven’t given All We Know of Heaven, All We Know of Hell a listen yet, I highly recommend that you do so. Fair warning: you might wind up with tears in your eyes and an indescribable feeling in your chest, all while drowning in just a little bit of Heaven and a little bit of Hell. Don’t worry, it’s all part of the experience.
Check out the music video for “Anyone Else” below!