Initially formed as a five-piece metalcore band under the gnarly name Operation Guillotine, over the last fifteen years Massachusetts’ PVRIS have morphed into a bold creative force. Driven by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Lyndsey Gunnulfsen - a fearless creative with a penchant for all things mystical and macabre - the project has undergone several evolutions. From writing synth-fuelled pop-rock break-up anthems to philosophical musings on the industry she has come to dominate, the 30-year-old’s triumphant journey with PVRIS has never been predictable, and remains full of promise and possibility.
A debut that flips between tear-jerking reflections on a messy break-up and dance floor-filling synth refrains, is perhaps the perfect representation of the emotional whiplash that follows the end of a relationship. A series of empowering odes to losing yourself and finding yourself again, it begins, with the slow-building awash with desperation, but by the time the pulsating electronics of poltergeist-themed pop banger kick in the time for wallowing is over. Unravelling the complications of accepting the realities of your life choices in wickedly anthemic style, the electro pop-punk album was produced by Floridian musician Blake Harnage, who Gunnulfsen has credited with introducing her to electronic music.
A bold statement - released at a time where electronic and pop influences were far from the coolest sounds to bring to the Vans Warped Tour stages - it set the mission st.