Since the project's inception in 2012,
PVRIS
has always been seen as a band fronted by
Lynn Gunn
. However, in 2020,
Gunn
revealed that she'd been captain of the ship the entire time, handling songwriting, instrumentation, and production duties from the start. Bravely stepping into the spotlight with her third album,
Use Me
, she delves deep into her soul to deliver her best statement to date. Intensely personal and introspective,
delivers on the promise of 2019's
Hallucinations
EP, pivoting further from the traditional guitar-based attack of earlier material in favor of a pop-polished, dance-friendly brand of electronic rock fit for fans of
Halsey
,
Hayley Williams
Billie Eilish
, or
Twenty One Pilots
. Atop thick digital textures and pulsing beats courtesy of
JT Daly
(
K.Flay
),
spends most of this breakup album dredging up haunted reflections of a messy relationship, musing on the pain before ultimately moving on with her head held high on the disco-kissed closer "Wish You Well." Ignoring the dangers of a toxic romance on the
Daniel Armbruster
-assisted goth raver "Death of Me," she chases the thrill knowing full well it will end badly. On the hypnotic "Old Wounds," she risks it all again, repeating "I think I could love you" atop droning production that sounds like a collaboration between
the Weeknd
and
Florence and the Machine
. The contemplative "January Rain" offers another dose of melancholy that's infused by lush atmospherics that envelop like a storm cloud, while the veneer is further stripped away on the tender acoustic "Loveless," which shatters conceptions of love in a soul-baring moment of vulnerability. Additional highlights include the electro-romp "Hallucinations," co-penned with
Marshmello
; the sweeping, string-backed title track, which includes a deft verse and harmonic coda from rapper
070 Shake
; and the throbbing attack of opener "Gimme a Minute," which explodes into a riotous bounce on par with past tourmates
Muse
and their epic "Knights of Cydonia." There isn't a wasted moment on the album, an expertly crafted triumph that succeeds by balancing addictive production and a concentrated thematic focus. Beyond the technical,
is also an inspiration, a cathartic rebirth for
where she can take full credit for doing all the work, embracing the pain and cleaning her wounds with strength and confidence. ~ Neil Z. Yeung