PVRIS - Evergreen

All dials are turned up to eleven for PVRIS’ fourth album. ‘Evergreen’ generally favours chunkier, harder sounds over intricacy, particularly where its maximalist-leaning production is concerned, to the extent that it feels like a thick, silvery fog hangs over most of its songs. Sometimes it means they possess a heaviness not found since the outfit’s rockier days of old, such as in the industrial clatter of ‘HYPE ZOMBIES’, but it may be an acquired taste, and occasional moments feel overcooked, such as on the juddering early single ‘ANIMAL’. Elsewhere, however, are a plethora of cast-iron, genreless bangers, some of which are the catchiest tracks Lynn Gunn has put her name to. She stands taller than ever on the effervescent and anthemic ‘GODDESS’, which flaunts a guitar-driven groove and snappy couplets (and the brilliantly sassy one-liner “I’m a motherfucking brand!”), while ‘TAKE MY NIRVANA’ (featuring production from one Mike Shinoda) sparkles with its addictive rhythms. The art of subtlety isn’t totally lost, however – ‘SENTI-MENTAL’s soulful piano trills and gentle, warm guitar tones are refreshingly organic, as is the hushed acoustic ballad ‘ANYWHERE BUT HERE’. Lynn has never sounded quite so bold.