PVRIS's "Death of Me" Review

Image: YouTube

Ahead of their third, highly anticipated album, alternative rockers PVRIS released their newest single “Death of Me” in the form of a music video on July 11th. On top of releasing a music video, the band announced that the new album comes out this September, along with a few intimate show dates in a handful of US cities. In short, PVRIS’s new era is in full throttle.

Before the music video dropped at midnight Eastern time, each member of the band posted an eerie photo across all their social accounts; a cluster of people gathered in the dark with their eyes scratched out in red. A few days later, a teaser of the video was released that referenced said photo. The footage showed a pair of headlights coming upon the group of people in the dark, frozen in their tracks in the midst of a forest. As the bass hits, the figures move before the band’s name flashes on screen in red text. 

The band’s departure from their traditionally black and white aesthetic marks the start of a new era in visuals in addition to their music style as well. PVRIS’s new song shows their further progression into more electronically driven music, yet still displays aspects of the group remaining true to its roots through their use of heavy lyrics and layered instrumentals. The song surges and almost seizes to life through the marrying of low bass slaps and shallow, tight drum hits; creating a unified pulse between the listener and the beat of the song. Lynn’s vocals in the pre-chorus provide an excellent build to the chorus as she breathes out “I’m falling, fading, and seeing angels,” before lurching forward into the chorus and displaying the powerhouse voice she’s known for. 

The pairing of a sensual, trance-like, yet cultish rave with the heavy-beat song creates an ominous atmosphere that strangely seems to coerce the listener to fall into the song. Lynn’s often shown being cupped, grasped, and held by the others in the video; alluding to the feeling of being trapped by love highlighted in the lyrics (“You could chain me up or set me free//And you could suffocate or let me breathe”). Perhaps the wildest yet most entrancing part of the video comes from Lynn’s playfully-grotesque fascination with a snake in the video. As the music video continues, occasional shots of Lynn stroking the snake as it slithers across her body flash across the screen.

The song comes to a head as the bridge bubbles up and shows Lynn playing the knife game with hypnotized viewers. The bridge drops and shows all three band members stab into an apple before the chorus comes again and pulls the listener to the end. The song ends abruptly and evaporates as quickly as it began, only to leave the listener wanting more.

Overall, PVRIS’s new song continues to display their talent for being experimental and genre-breaking in musical style and aesthetics. While some fans found the song a bit ‘too poppy’ for their taste, many disagreed and enjoyed the shift in sound. It’s clear that PVRIS aren’t trying to fit in or please everyone with their alternative sound, but in choosing this attitude, they're succeeding in growing as artists.