Written by Isabella Flynn
Last year COVID-19 took over the world and forced us to put a pause on our lives as we knew them. We said our temporary goodbyes to concerts, spending time with friends, going out to eat, and so much more. Yet, it didn’t stop musicians from releasing music.
PVRIS released their follow up to their sophomore album "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell" with "Use Me". "Use Me" showed us a softer, more melodic side of PVRIS sound-wise, and emphasized Lynn Gunn’s growth in her songwriting abilities.
On July 30th, 2021, PVRIS released their first single since "Use Me" titled, "Monster". It’s a high energy track with strong lyrics and is centered around the conflict between the expectations you put upon oneself versus everyone else’s expectations.
This track has all the elements that can help the listener immediately know that this is a PVRIS song. The synth, gritty vocal effects, elements of pop and R&B infused with rock, and the softer opening verse to a powerful chorus that's sure to make you want to scream the lyrics and jump around whenever or wherever you listen are all things that make this a true PVRIS track.
It’s no secret that it’s a dark song, and lyrics such as, “How could you let them do this to you?”, “It's a warnin', a warnin' (It's a sure sign)”, and “How could you let them turn you into a monster? / Your bridge started to burn when you ran all across it / I guess you never learn 'til you live and you lost it” help establish this dark, moody atmosphere. This also reveals Gunn’s innermost thoughts about how this conflict of one’s internal pressures versus others opinions have impacted her and fellow listeners.
"Monster" is a fantastic song that draws you in with it’s creepy and mysterious opening and keeps you engaged with it’s gritty chorus, but it is a surprising return for PVRIS. "Use Me" was a mellow-sounding album that didn’t have the consistent energy of their two previous albums.
High energy, jump around, and chaotic-sounding PVRIS seemed like it would be a thing of the past, but "Monster" proved us wrong. It’s going to be incredibly interesting to see where this return to their original, yet evolved sound takes them in the future.
Monster is available on your preferred streaming service and you can keep up with the band by following them on Twitter @ThisIsPVRIS. If you’ve already listened to "Monster" or feel compelled to after reading this review, let us know what you think by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw !
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