Heaven/What's Wrong - Pvris

I discovered Pvris (pronounced "Paris") while I was studying abroad in Lithuania in the spring of 2015, and since then I've become an avid fan. Their star has certainly been rising, with opening slots on tours for the likes of Fall Out Boy, Muse, and 30 Seconds To Mars, as well as their own headlining tours (they're absolutely phenomenal live, highly recommend it). And the momentum continues this August as Pvris will be releasing their sophomore album, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell. They've released two singles so far; "Heaven" on April 30th and "What's Wrong" on June 13th.

"Heaven" opens in a very stripped down manner, simply Lynn Gunn's vocals over piano chords, but quickly builds into something much more massive than their previous material. It's less distorted, more electronic elements, but still the same edge and fire that their debut album White Noise brought to the world. The piano and electronic drums drop on the second chorus and are replaced by a drumset and guitar that push into the huge chorus. The bridge shows off some of Lynn's best vocals to date, with her combination of power and grit coming through on the repetition of the line "you took my heaven away". The song does a great job of exploiting contrast, from the quiet intro into epic chorus and the heavy bridge stripping down halfway through while still maintaining its intensity.

"What's Wrong" continues in the same vein, showcasing more electronic elements while still keeping the band's dark and edgy vibe very much alive. The intro guitar line is quite haunting in the few moments it's alone; it's quickly joined by a beat and Gunn's shouts in the background. The song is really driven by the beat and the warbling synth, with Gunn's vocals floating throughout the track. The highlight of the song would have to be the bridge, with the slow build and Gunn telling the listener that, despite those who might think so, "No I never sold my soul". She starts out almost just saying it, but as the instrumental builds, her singing climbs higher and higher until she's screaming the line again and again.

Both of these songs really show what Pvris is capable of, and the direction they've chosen to push themselves. The inclusion of more electronic elements is a natural progression; they showed this in the two songs they released for the deluxe version of White Noise, "You & I" and "Empty". They've still retained their darker vibe and their ability to delve deep into their own darkness. I think their rise has just begun, and that they have the potential to climb even higher than they already have.

Rating:
               Heaven: 4.5/5
               What's Wrong: 4/5