By: James Southworth
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
PVRIS came into almost instant popularity with the release of their debut album "White Noise" in 2014. And I personally think that was for good reason. This album has been on repeat for me for a long time. I love how seamlessly it combines electronic/synth with hard rock elements. There are so many memorable songs on here, especially the aggressive rocker "My House" (still my favorite song by the band to date) and the calling out of hypocrites in "Holy". What attached me to this band more than anything else was the superb vocalist Lynn Gunn. She really does have a powerhouse of a voice, and can sound beautiful or harsh with ease. So, there's a lot going for PVRIS. Their sophomore release has an interesting concept in being inspired by Emily Dickinson poems. "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell" is certainly a solid release, but it doesn't impress quite as much as the debut did.
This album starts off excellently with the first three tracks. "Heaven" was a great choice for a lead single, as it is definitely one of the best tracks on the album. The atmosphere of this song is haunting to say the least; Lynn's voice sends chills up my spine every time. The subtle addition of a piano works as well. Subject-wise this song has a heartbreaking weight to it, given in part by the huge emotion that Lynn evokes through the power of her vocals. The lyrics "You took my heart/You took my heaven away" have an intense vulnerability that works well for the song. The chorus of this track is musically awesome, with fast paced drumming, big synths, and a powerful guitar. The next song "Half" is also incredible. This one is more of just a straight up rock track, and for that reason it stands all the more tall in the track listing. The more subtle use of electronics strengthens the song further. The musicianship in this track is just tight overall, and Lynn's voice is really able to go to some amazing places here. I love getting to hear her full voice here, as that isn't always the case on this album (more on that later). "What's Wrong" is definitely the best song on the album, and it may even end up being one of the best songs of the year. This one feels like it could fit right into "White Noise", and maybe that's why I like it so much. The aggressive feel on this one is amped up even more than the previous two songs, making for the first three tracks having a nice progression of intensity. This song is also lyrically very angry, but the anger feels fitting: "I know it’s so wrong but I’m so far gone/Don’t need you to tell me I’m so cynical/Quit being so over-skeptical/Don’t need a metaphor for you to know I’m miserable". The sheer honesty here is compelling to me, and it helps the chorus even more that it is so catchy. This track reaches an amazing height where Lynn gets to unleash in her voice and verge on screaming; it's truly a delight to hear. This is one of the band's best songs to date.
There aren't any songs that quite reach the heights that the first three tracks go to, but there are still some tracks on here that I would certainly consider good. "Same Soul" is the only acoustic track on the album, and Lynn's more light vocal textures work well on the song. The lyrics are also very well-written: "I think we’ve loved a thousand lives/I try to find you every time/Searching for those same wide eyes that locked me in, in my first life". There's a sort of simplistic beauty to this song where it doesn't necessarily have to try to be an epic rocker. Also, Lynn's little laugh at the end comes across as charming rather than forced, and it's an effective way to relieve from the overall dark content the rest of the album has. "No Mercy" is a catchy pop/rock tune that reminds a lot of "Fire" from the band's debut. Although it's not all that unique, I still can't help but have fun and sing along with it. "Winter" is probably the biggest highlight out of the remaining tracks that I enjoy, as the chorus in this song sticks. The imagery that Lynn evokes here is also intriguing: "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." The musicality of this song really vibes with me, as the way the synths and guitars combine together is nicely executed.
There are some songs on this album that don't work quite as well, even though I don't necessarily hate them. "Walk Alone" is my least favorite, because its five minute run time is simply not justified. I've heard the subject matter it's talked about many times before, and done in better ways. I also feel as though musically this song is actually way too overproduced- a problem apparent in all of these weaker tracks. Lynn's voice actually gets bogged down in the production here, which is disappointing. The song also has this weird bizarre ending interlude that just doesn't work as a good transition. While I could feel the sadness coming from Lynn's voice, "Anyone Else" is still a bit of a cliched break up song. No new ideas are presented here, and the synths and guitars don't come together as naturally here as they do in other songs. Lynn's voice once again doesn't have the power it should due to the production. "Nola 1" is an underwhelming ending which I think was trying to exude the catchy rock feel that "Let You In" had on the band's debut, but it's not done as well.
There are some weaker moments on this album, especially in terms of some of the problematic production, and a few songs running too long. But I still can't help but enjoy this release overall. It's not going to turn any heads as a legendary rock release, because this album just isn't at that level, and I don't think it's trying to be. However, I can see the potential for PVRIS to make a game-changing album in the future based on the excellent first three tracks. "All We Know of Heaven..." is far from a sophomore slump. It's one of the most fun rock releases of 2017, and I'm going to have it on repeat for the rest of the year!
Favorite Songs: "What's Wrong", "Heaven", "Half", "Winter", "Same Soul"
Least Favorite Songs: "Walk Alone", "Nola 1", "Anyone Else"
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