All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell - PVRIS

When I started listening to PVRIS a couple of years ago, I immediately became entranced by their dark and gritty sound. The further I delved into their music, however, the more intrigued I became by their lyrical content, which explores some very different subjects than a lot of the other bands out there. They have a very otherworldly sense to their music, speaking of ghosts and paranormal type things but in the context of lovers and loss. It made for a very interesting vibe on their 2014 debut album, White Noise, which I highly recommend checking out if you haven't yet.

But fast forward almost 3 years, and we come to their sophomore album, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell. I was very, very excited for new music when I heard the announcement, and gobbled up all the singles as they released. Heaven was our first taste of the new album, followed by What's Wrong, "Half", "Winter", and "Anyone Else"(see my review of the first two songs here). 

"Half" begins with a slow building guitar line, joined by a muted drum beat before opening into a full instrumental featuring a whimsical, floating vocal line from Lynn Gunn. This song really highlights Gunn's vocals throughout, letting her show off her softer side during the verses and the bridge, while also letting her build and grow into the roar and power that we first got used to in White Noise. She doesn't quite get gritty, but it's close enough to reveal the darker side that the band can delve into. The synth lines during this track really shine, between the subtle 80's sounding lines during the verses and the distorted electronic tones that come in later on that somehow manage to sound as if they're floating back and forth between high and low. 

"Winter" is a bit on the slower side, but certainly pulls its weight and punch through a lyrical stand taken towards a former lover. With lines like:

"You were just physical touch, not necessarily love

Just something to distract my aching brain for once

I feel too little and I think too much"

and the chorus

"Can you burn a fire in my flesh?

'Cause your love's so cold I see my breath

I can't take another night

Always frozen by your side"

it is clear that this was not a healthy relationship. This song is really intriguing through the instrumental, being much more electronically reliant than a lot of their previous work. The driving element of the song, apart from the vocals, is the prominent synth lines that pulse throughout. It's continuing the 80's vibe I mentioned for "Half", but provide an interesting contrast to the more raw, organic vocals Gunn provides; perhaps an intentional mix, to highlight the idea of the subject of the song and the singer being very different people, if not opposites. 

"Anyone Else" was the last of the singles released before the album dropped, and the one that really, really got my attention. First of all, the first half has an extremely poppy sound to it, much more so than anything PVRIS has done previously, utilizing an electronic drum beat to lay the groundwork for some of Gunn's prettiest vocals on the album, with some absolutely stunning harmonies as well. There's a shift after the first chorus, however, with more of their familiar elements entering the song like guitars and a drum set, as well as a harp line that has shown up in their work as well. During the bridge, there's this point where Gunn asks 

"Oh, my blood

What have you done

What have you done".

As she's singing that, there's this bass synth that rumbles, building until it roars in this dark and almost creepy manner before the song shifts into a bit of a breakdown for a few moments of just Gunn's somewhat distorted vocals over just a drum beat. It builds from her, with Gunn almost screaming "I don't belong to anyone else" until the song ends with a harp outro.The main thing that kept my attention focused on this song, however, were the lyrics. They start off seeming almost sweet, addressed to a lover. However, Gunn manages to shift from writing out of love to writing out of sorrow, utilizing similar lines with subtle changes that completely change the impact the words have. My favorite line from the song, and quite possibly from the album, is

"'Cause I could touch a hundred thousand souls

But none of them would ever feel like home

And no matter how far and wide I roam

You are the only one that I'll ever know"

The first time it comes off as sweet, as a reminder that there will be no one like the one Gunn loves and no one could have the impact that that person has had on her. However, when it becomes clearer that this is not a current love, but a former, those lines become bittersweet. A promise of never being able to quite escape, having your soul forever be attached, in a way big or small, to that of another. It's beautiful and tragic, blending these elements together in a way I couldn't get out of my head. 

With some of the first few singles, I was still excited, but I knew it wasn't quite the same as White Noise and so I became less eager. However, with "Anyone Else", that excitement came back, and I was quite eager for the album to drop. 

"Walk Alone" comes after "What's Wrong" on the album, featuring more of the harp and pop elements like "Anyone Else", although with a bit of a lighter feel. The verses are definitely a bit more reserved, with less layering and a bit more of a stipped feeling. However, the song builds into the chorus, where we get some of the more intricate drumming of the album, as well as these swelling distorted synths and Gunn giving us that gritty side we love. Contrast is a strong element in this track, between the pretty moments and the darker, more intense ones. 

"Same Soul" has a dreamy sense to it in the beginning, the picked guitar line having a bouncing feel before giving way to sampled vocals from Gunn providing the riff of the chorus as she yells 

"I'm just a body that you used to know

I'm just somebody that you used to know".

The bridge is the dreamiest part of the song, with the echoing vocals and the slow-growing organ/synth line. It eventually shifts back into the outro chorus, with three different vocals lines from Gunn providing a cacophony of sounds that makes it a bit difficult to discern which line should take the main focus. It adds to the surreal aspect of the track. 

"No Mercy" opens with a pair of synth lines, but quickly reveals its true colors as Gunn shows off some of the grittiest vocals of the album and the rock side of PVRIS comes out full force. The chorus is fantastic, with Gunn screaming "Show me no mercy" over the crashing of the cymbals and the snare drum snapping as we hear some of the few distorted guitar lines on the album. It reminds me a lot of the energy from "Fire" off their debut album, that dark alt-rock with a healthy mix of electronic moments and low moments to provide sufficient contrast. The lyrical focus seems to be between Gunn and a former love, but not of a bittersweet or contemplative feeling; this one is full of anger and rage. 

"Separate" pulls back a bit, a much more somber mood by far, a low rumbling synth bass giving just the right atmosphere for Gunn's more vulnerable vocals and the driving drums that keep the song from falling too far behind. The shift in instrumentation is also matched by the lyrical shift, with Gunn begging for her lover to stay by her side, instead of leaving like many of the other songs on the record. As a song, it helps to give some contrast to some of the more pop-oriented songs on the album, and comes off even stronger as it follows "No Mercy", which is one of the highest energy tracks they've done.

The album finishes up with "Nola 1", another very different sounding song from the others. Lyrically, it feels a bit more like White Noise, with even a mention of ghosts: 

"Cause its midnight and the ghosts might be coming soon"

as well as the second half of the first verse:

"My body didn't like the way it felt last June

And it haunted me the whole year

Then turned into thinking I was dying

Wouldn't pull through to see 22".

The chorus feels really fitting given the points I've just made, as Gunn sings about 

"You keep on saying that I've changed

I know that I don't seem quite the same"

and considering that there were a lot of changes in sound and subject on this album, it makes sense that the band might be struggling with all the things they've experienced and how to process it all and continue on the path they want to.

Instrumentally, it has some of the coolest and more experimental moments for the band. There's a point right at the beginning where there's just an electronic bass kick and this echoing, clean electric guitar riff that only lasts for a moment, but is so enchanting. It comes back a few times throughout the song, but it's the first time that's the best. The band utilizes a more pop-sounding beat and a compressed guitar line to fuel the verses before the sound opens up more for the choruses as Gunn questions and reassures herself simultaneously. It's not the most explosive or intricate song they've done, but definitely feels appropriate to close the album out, as it encompases a lot of elements that were explored by the band. 

It's evident that there was a lot of shifting for this album. Shifts in sounds, in instrumentation, lyrical content and songwriting approaches. It shows the band wants to continue growing, to explore new areas of music and let their music take on new life. There were some points that I felt weren't quite as strong as others, some songs that didn't quite feel like they worked out exactly like the band might have hopped. But, I think that this album was necessary for the band to continue honing their sound, and allowed them to showcase what else they can do beyond White Noise without letting themselves become pigeonholed into a specific sound. Definitely worth giving some time to listen and unpack.

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended: "Anyone Else", "No Mercy", "Winter", "Heaven"

Related: Lydia, Halsey, Lights