PVRIS album review

ALBUM REVIEW: White Noise 10 Year Anniversary Edition by PVRIS (2025)

Average Rating: 9.31/10

TRACKLIST:

1.You and I

2. Empty

3. Smoke

4. St. Patrick

5. My House

6. Holy

7. White Noise

8. Fire

9. Eyelids

10. Mirrors

11. Ghosts

12. Let Them In

13. You and I (Stripped)

14. My House (feat. Courtney LaPlante)

15. Fire 2.0

16. Mirrors (Brian MacDonald Remix)

17. You and I (Live)

My Top 3 tracks: You and I, Mirrors, You and I (Live)

Least favourite track: Let Them In

PVRIS is an artist that I discovered less than a year ago, precisely on the 6th October 2024. PVRIS originally released this album on 4th November 2014, just under 10 years before I had ever heard of them. If there was a way that I could go back to that first moment it was out, I probably would because it is a masterpiece. Despite being over 10 years old, this album is certainly one that should be celebrated and listened to for decades to come.

PVRIS was initially the product of musicians Lyndsey Gunnulfsen (frontwoman and guitarist, informally known as Lynn Gunn), Brian MacDonald (bassist), Brad Griffin (drums) and Alex Babinski (guitar) formed in Lowell, Massachusetts. They were known as Operation Guillotine from 2009-2012, but changed their name after unclean vocalist Kyle Anthony left the band. The line-up has varied over the years, with the line-up now only consisting of frontwoman Gunn and bassist MacDonald, even though Gunn was revealed to be the sole creator of all PVRIS albums.

"PVRIS is a unit and very much a team, but the heart and soul of the vision and music always has sourced from me."- Lynn Gunn, from article 'PVRIS rearrange release date for their new album Use Me',  published by NME on 9th April 2020.

The alt-rock quartet released their debut album White Noise on 4th November 2014, charting in the UK at Number 55 in August 2015, staying in the charts for 5 weeks. It also saw fair success in the States, peaking at Number 88 on the Billboard Top 200. It was promoted by the singles 'St. Patrick' and 'My House', with the title track and 'Fire' put out as singles subsequently after the album's release. A deluxe version of this album was presented in April 2016, with its bonus tracks of You and I and Empty also featured on this anniversary edition.

In my opinion, there was no better way to start this album than with the emotional banger that is You and I. This was the first PVRIS song that I ever heard, but it still hits the same every time I hear it. It starts off quiet with an echo of the title, and some incredibly worded verses before the explosion of the chorus and Lynn's gut-punching vocals sure to send a tear to your eye immediately, and the live version which sits beautifully in last on this album only enhances this, and makes you feel like you're actually there, witnessing the beauty of PVRIS live.

The successor to this track is the simple yet moving Empty, the powerhouse of Gunn's vocals still sure to send chills down your spine, hauntingly majestic with an unusual air of heart-breaking serenity to it. The album then progresses into its original version, with the rock-perfected Smoke; it's rhythmical drums, distorted guitars and hypnotising magic continuing into St. Patrick, with it's danceable melodies and stand out bass lines, an ideal follow-up that shows the immediate consistency of PVRIS' talent.

The energy of White Noise doesn't stop there, as we are blown away by the undeniable force of My House, the fan favourite and therefore most popular song from the album. Despite what Lynn admits to be her questionable fashion choices for this song's music video, the versatility of her vocals dismisses all of this and brings a track that should hopefully leave everyone on the side of the right opinion: that My House from the get go is pristine alternative track for such a young band at the time, with its lead only being 20 when the album was released. A version was put out in promotion for this album, with re recorded vocals from Lynn Gunn, accompanied by the unstoppable Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox.

We take a slight step down with the nearly 5 minute Holy, with the awe inducing start of the grungy drums and heavy bass, opposed by the light twinkling piano and distant vocals. The track overall has no major rises and falls which plays ode to why the variety of this album is one of its stand out factors. Title track White Noise follows, leaning in to its title despite it only being mentioned once in the whole duration. Gunnulfsen's moving vocals show a sense of desperation and pain with trying to call out to someone, of course captured effortlessly.

We move on swiftly to the unforgiving dark rock stamina of Fire, another fan favourite and headbanger, also extremely catchy with its hook of 'burning up' which was kept but viewed in a different light with Fire 2.0. This hones itself to be more of a club track, with assistant production by artist Sizzy Rocket who also features on PVRIS' 2024 EP F.I.L.T.H. 

Another gentle shift down is provided by Eyelids, a song dedicated to Gunn's girlfriend at the time Alexa San Roman (photographer and member of BITE). The track even features a voicemail by Alexa at the end that she sent to Lynn, a sentimental closing to this devoting semi-ballad.

Next is my personal album favourite that is Mirrors, a track that I wish was closer to the start but makes the anticipation of listening to it worth waiting for. It is one of the darker-sounding songs on this record and fits perfectly within it, its hard-hitting instrumentation and Gunn's hypnotising vocals tying it all off.

The original White Noise finale comes in the form of Ghosts and Let Them In, the first beginning with an eerie feather-like piano which crops up a few more times during the song, and again the powerful bass, also with a chorus and bridge that sounds like it should be in an early Paramore song. Let Them In brings an electric ending to the album, quite literally, with its distorted synth sounds to open the track, along with the rock familiarity that PVRIS has accustomed themselves too, a perfect ending to a debut album.

The final deluxe track follows, a majestic stripped down version of You and I that lives up to its original, the same emotion, the same gut-wrenching vocals that just let you just sit back and relax without a care in the world. The aforementioned remix of My House comes next, succeeded by Fire 2.0 and the bassist MacDonald's twist on Mirrors. You and I (Live) closes out the 10 Year Anniversary Edition of White Noise, a song that makes you wish the album wouldn't ever end.

This is such an accomplished album, and still one that has always been somehow so overlooked and underrated. Lynn Gunn as a songwriter and musician in general is someone who should be honoured and celebrated all around the world in the music industry, because her constant effortless crafting of every single song is unmatched, a true talent that will never be beaten.

Ruby Hemsley