Almost a decade on from their monumental debut, White Noise, PVRIS is still going strong. Another neat half-hour of electronic-oriented music is a real treat for the ears. Evergreen provides just that. Their shift into alternative and electronic dance could not come at a worse time. An already saturated genre gains an exceptional creative who will power through these dance structures with ease but is tasked with doing so in a tight half-hour. PVRIS has no trouble with this one though, charting eleven tracks of going right against the grain and subverting expectation. She does not care what she said before, as opener I Don’t Wanna Do This Anymore indicates, this is the new dawn for a creative in the throes of change. Welcome the experience, it is all they could ask for.
Powerful vocal work on Goddess provides an underrated addition to the self-empowerment championed by Caroline Polachek and Jessie Ware. These are the songs worth championing – slick and hypnotic beats from PVRIS bring around a desire to dance along to the thick thumps of a bass-heavy groove. “Move your body, fuck the man,” is some of the finest writing PVRIS has been a part of to date. Evergreen is stuffed full of these moments – dark horse essentials which rise through the ranks of her discography with an almost unnoticeable effect. Heavier flourishes on Hype Zombies bring about this new change in form – though for those sticking around PVRIS and keeping track of her releases over the last decade, these movements to darker themes may be a subtle one.
A chasm of difference between their debut and recent effort – and it is from this growth is sighted. Dimensional interpretations are marked by Take My Nirvana. PVRIS reluctantly offers their view of perfection. There is a sense that, whatever they offer here, it is wrong. Evergreen lasts on the implication of being in the wrong. Take it and destroy it whatever the cost or concern. Neat wordplay and steady courses charted on Senti-mental bring out the inevitable spiral into chaos. PVRIS would be out of place with this danceable number – the very core of Evergreen captured in this one fluid motion. More than a few shining moments are scattered through this one, and slick production keeps PVRIS relevant in the alternative dance genre. At a time of Dua Lipa domination, the likes of Ava Max trying to throw themselves around as carbon copies of the top spot artist, it is refreshing to hear a change of pace.
More than a few have maintained this change of pace, with Polachek and Ware both offering spin-offs of these dance movements. But PVRIS pursues the foundations of alternative pop and holds her own against some exceptionally talented competition. Evergreen keeps itself relevant and exciting with a look back at pandemic woes and personalised flow. Something which feels lacking in electronic-adjacent pop at the moment is the specifics and life lessons which lend themselves to this style. Few are genuine when it comes to charting great horizons – the likes of Lewis Capaldi and Ava Max are a hollow shell of what listeners want to be here. Evergreen makes it clear this is an artist and collection of memories which hold true and firm. Whether you like it or not, PVRIS presents truth and happenings which are understandable and relevant.
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