by Josh Atlas
Yves Tumor is easily one of the most enthralling artists of the last decade. Sean Bowie can’t seem to help themselves from making some of the most infectious anthems that seamlessly blend different genres of music. On their newest LP, Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds), Yves finds themselves attaching to a more post-punk style explored in their 2021 EP, The Asymptotical World. Evident from the title, Yves delves into themes of higher powers. The album opens to sounds of sampled shrieks on “God Is A Circle,” establishing a somewhat tortuous motif that follows throughout the entire album. The world Yves creates on this album through songs like “Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood” seems grandiose and beautiful, with layered booming guitars and sweeping piano chords. Still, equally disturbing as it is beautiful is Tumor’s almost creepy falsetto singing of “a boy with no head.”
What makes this album special to me is how layered each sound feels. Every part of the instrumental stands out in its unique way. On repeat listens, it is common to hyper-focus on a specific part of the instrumentation that flew by you on the first listen. Other highlights on the album include “Parody” and “Operator.” “Operator” contains a raw emotion that only seems to increase as Yves’s shrieks grow more painful, crying out for a higher power. However, the album is not without its duller moments. The track “Meteora Blues,” with a boisterous instrumental, lacks energy in the vocals causing the song to feel a little lopsided. Overall one so-so track does not affect the entire experience. “Ebony Eye” closes the album on a true high with a triumphant burst of energy that seems to rocket you into the heavens. One can only wonder which world Yves will bring us to next.
