White Noise by PVRIS

Said your name into a mirror three times / said it three times / said it three times

There’s something about this album that makes it so much more than merely its sounds. It’s a whirlpool of dark and light in a constant deadlock, ever so subtly drawing one in to explore the abyss we all fear most. White Noise is a collection of sounds, that put together, break your heart and tear your soul apart in the most cathartic way possible.

PVRIS (pronounced Paris) dropped this LP in November 2014, after having previously released multiple demos and 2 EPs. While those EPs did suggest that this band was more than just another group in the saturated Warped Tour scene, White Noise blew that notion completely out of the water.

What makes this album truly spectacular, in my opinion, is its darkness. I truly love the entire vibe of the album – it’s like this album opens a Pandora’s Box of emotions we pack up and store in a dark, lonely corner of our hearts. The three-piece act effortlessly makes this dark shine, igniting it with a stunning myriad of textures, ranging from hopeless ballads to arena-sized anthems.

PVRIS display an astonishing variety of sounds and styles throughout the album, a feat incredibly impressive for such a young band. Songs like Fire and Let Them In thrive on arena-sized choruses, with their steady verses signalling the entrance of a tsunami-sized wave of sheer energy. My House, the most massive track on this album, takes this energy to a whole new level, led by Lyndsey Gunnulfsen’s soaring vocals. Clearly, the trio don’t fall short in packing a bloody good punch.

"It's my house / and I think it's time you get out"

But the rest of the tracks add an entire new dimension to their already infectious groove, as guitarist Alex Babinski and bassist Brian MacDonald prove that their arsenal comprises much more than distorted riffs. Surely, St. Patrick illustrates this best – the flagship track of the album, which is by far their most pop-influenced effort, and easily one of their most electrifying songs. The tongue-in-cheek expressions of hopeless love (“You give me something to think about / that’s not the shit in my head”) add to the track, making it so easy to love. But if Lynn wanted her love back in St. Patrick , then maybe Ghosts would tell you the reason why her love left. It’s incredible though, how the band can so easily put pleasant melodies and heartbreaks together, as heard on this track.

"You’re a miracle" 

(Click here for the studio version)

Still, there are songs on the opposite end of the energy spectrum, that move your soul as much as the bashing stadium-sized choruses do. Goodbyes are always painful, and the ballad Eyelids makes that pain in your heart very, very real. Holy takes on hypocrisy and brokenness at its most profound, weaving its beautiful intricacies through lyrics that reveal the true colours of an individual living his life in his own shadow. White Noise, the title track, is in its own way a ballad too, topped with gripping Morse-code-like synth lines that show the band at their most adventurous. Alex’s riffs in these songs so delicately combine with Brian’s synth/ bass lines in these songs, truly showcasing how immensely talented they are.

Smoke, the album opener, opens the album with an urgency that steadily builds, and pretty much grips the listener right from the opening beat. “I feel a fire in the back of my throat so let’s get covered in flames and play some games with the smoke.” Mirrors spins a similar mid-tempo thump in a completely different way, playing on terrifying yet alluring desires, possibly hinting at occult references. It amazes me how this track loves in such a vicious way.

"I know you’re dead inside / but you make me feel alive"

Along with effortlessly pulling every heartstring of mine with their every beat, the album also got me thinking about what made it so beautiful. I couldn’t really come to a conclusion, so prepare yourself for the convoluted mishmash that I’m going ramble about now.

I feel like PVRIS have many concepts at play that go into their music, vibe and image, some of which are in fact polar opposites of each other. On a musical level, for a start, while the general theme of the album is dark and painful (of course not without amazing feel good moments and sinister excitement), the album makes use of weirdly sweet sounds, if that’s even a valid description. After all, Lynn mentioned in an interview that while she has very dark thoughts, she also loves sweet sounds. So they incorporated an interplay of synthesisers and guitar riffs which in my opinion, turned this album into a masterpiece. Love and loneliness, satisfaction and misery, and hope and hopelessness are also among the conflicting concepts that make this album so unique.

Acknowledging the second wave of recognition the album got, PVRIS dropped a deluxe edition just this year, with three new tracks on it. They decided to shake things up a little, and put the songs before the initial opening track, Smoke . And it made all the difference.

White Noise was already brimming with energy, but You & I , the first new track, gave the energy a whole new dimension. It builds to a crescendo of hope, love, pain and joy all at once, with an absolutely stunning chorus. The stripped down version of this track has completely different emotions going, putting this song into an entirely new perspective. Empty brings chills to the bone too, being similar in nature to You and I (Stripped) . “What do you want from me?” Lynn bellows oh so gorgeously. “I’m empty”.

"We can meet in the middle / bodies and souls collide"

White Noise, as a totality, is far from merely being an album. It’s not a static compilation, meant to represent a point in time; it’s a dynamic transmission, with an insatiable thirst for more. Even through their mostly-black-and-white music videos, (they have music videos for 11 out of the 13 tracks on the deluxe edition by the way, which is awesome) they paint a picture that no other combination of colour could paint. PVRIS’ made a masterpiece out of darkness, by turning it into a priceless, intangible human connection. They showed us how beautiful darkness can be, sometimes more so than light.

And its exactly bands like these, those who speak to and resonate within the hidden chambers of our heart, that make us feel alive.

“You make my world spin

Placebo feelings

And in the morning

I’ll wait to see you again”

-Karan

The Smiths - A Light That Never Goes Out

On my favourite band - indie legends The Smtihs. 

The Smiths (from left to right):Andy Rourke (bass), Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (lead guitar) & Mike Joyce (drums)

Four misfits who came to be spokesmen for a million others. In Morrissey-Marr, music history finds itself the oddest of collaborations - the former adored Oscar Wilde and 60s girl-groups; was a recluse and sang in a self-absorbed, detached, woebegone manner. The latter was inspired by more traditional artists such as The Who, Patti Smith and George Harrison; was an extrovert and carried a lively, jangling sound with his nimble guitar-playing. Their different styles, surprisingly, jelled well, and together with Rourke & Joyce, helped create a distinctive sound never before heard in rock music.

Morrissey provided the lyrical direction and stage persona. Their songs resonate with the hapless romantic, the maladjusted adolescent, the introverted wallflower and just about everyone who has ever had a lovelorn heart. They aren't miserabilists, mind you, oh no, instead they are the antidote to depression. Their lyrics offer a humorous slant on the most emotional of matters, comforting you out of your misery. That's Moz for you, friends - the potent poet, the sagacious seer, the witty nut.

Morrissey, shy, introverted off-stage yet the most outlandish of performers on it. British NHS glasses (hip much?), loose-fitted shirts and gladioli stuffed in his back pockets were his trademark. Marr, outgoing, extroverted off-stage worked his magic on stage in the background. In the Smiths' live shows, he was hardly there yet made his presence felt. Absurd, right? The Smiths do tend to have that impression.

The Smiths on stage. Moz in front (with shades, loose shirt and gladioli and all) while Marr and the others in the background. 

Marr, on the other hand, provided the musical genius and kept the band together. His guitar melodies are so complex, so unique that he himself couldn't perfectly replicate them. The Stone Roses and Oasis (and therefore every other Brit guitar rock act) owe their sound to him. He is not a guitarist you identify by a cute riff or a pompous solo, but by his entire body of work.

"That man's a f****** wizard" - Noel Gallagher (of Oasis fame). 'Nuff said.

So what do we have here?
A band that lasted for a mere 5 years
Made just 4 proper albums
Never released a bad, shitty song (I might be a teeny bit biased here)
But left an enduring legacy.

By the bye, Perks of Being a Wallflower and 500 Days of Summer were responsible for introducing me to the Smiths. Not the best of ways to discover them, but boy am I glad that I did.

There are only so many bands that write life-saving songs. Songs which rescue listeners from abysmal lows by breathing a new life into them. So what if the songs are 30, even a 100 years old? Do the universal feelings of love and angst that these songs speak about change? Nope, such songs are timeless. Such bands are timeless. The Smiths are such a band.

There's a lot of clamour for a Smiths' reunion, lot's of money being offered, tons of fans (new ones especially, like me) eager to relive them. Chances are extremely slim, probably nonexistent, but hope never dies. Like the ephemeral dazzle of fireworks or the delicate fractals in a snowflake, some things are not meant to be relived, or replicated. Maybe The Smiths are such a snowflake, such a firework. The aftereffects of their combustion will however, never die. The beacon of solidarity they lit in every heart they touched, that light, will never go out.

Here are a few 'essential' Smiths songs for your wonderment. 

1. Hand In Glove

(Lyrics).The most romantic song ever written IMO. Has many interpretations due to its sexually ambiguous nature - which makes it even more romantic!

"No it's not like any other love, this one is different because it's us"

2. This Charming Man

Found this cute stick animation video! This song is trademark Smiths - Moz's croon overlaying jangly, driving guitars. 

"Why pamper life's complexities when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat"

3. How Soon Is Now?

This song is to the Smiths what Stairway to Heaven is to Led Zeppelin. Iconic tremolo opening, profound lyrics. Probably their most respected masterpiece. 

"I'm human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does."

4. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want

Following their longest song (How Soon Is Now?) is this, the shortest song in their catalogue at 1:52. Its length doesn't undermine its beauty, simplicity and feeling one bit.

5. What She Said

(lyrics) One of their lesser-known hardest, jangliest songs. Polarising. Piercingly witty.

"I smoke cuz I'm hoping for an early death. And I need to cling to something, what she said"

6. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

3 minute pop perfection. 

"How can they see the love in our eyes, and still they don't believe us"

7. Ask

Ask me if this is one of their good songs, I won't say no, how could I? 

"Coyness is nice, and coyness can stop you, from saying all the things in life you'd like to"

"If it's not love, then its THE BOMB THE BOMB THE BOMB THE BOMB THE BOMB that will bring us together"

8. Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

No seriously, stop me if you think you've heard this one before. I won't give any excuses, only laugh at you.

"Nothing's changed, I still love you, oh I still love you, only slightly, only slightly less than I used to, my love"

9. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

Starts off with a piano played over the voice of protesters. The wait for the chorus is worth it, I tell you, for it'll leave you with guaranteed goosebumps. Beautiful, soul-wrenching lyrics.

"Last night I felt real arms around me. No hope, no harm, just another false alarm." 

10. Asleep

Hauntingly beautiful.
Any other comment on this song would be a sin.

"Don't feel bad for me, I want you to know.
Deep in the cell of my heart, I will feel so glad to go."

11. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Probably their most popular song. One listen and it's not hard to say why. Bleakly romantic. It would be a privilege to die by the side of your loved one, wouldn't it?

"And in the darkened underpass, I thought, oh god! My chance has come at last."
But then a strange fear gripped me and I just couldn't ask."

Happy listening, and I hope you find the Smiths beautiful in ways I haven't yet.