Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)

by Yves Tumor

Overview

With Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds), Yves Tumor continues their tradition of never doing exactly the same thing twice. Their third release for Warp channels the careening energy of Heaven to a Tortured Mind into concise -- but not confined -- songs that examine sensuality and spirituality and confidently subvert pop, rock, noise, electronic, and R&B. Just how impatient Tumor's creativity is makes itself apparent on "God Is a Circle," which fashions screams and gasps into a heaving rhythm topped by clawing synths and a grungy, descending bass. As Tumor explores self-doubt, the song tears itself apart, skewing their music's psychedelic leanings into a hallucinatory hall of mirrors. Here and throughout the album, they use abrasive and lush textures as vivid emblems of their searching. The surging riffs on "Meteora Blues" (which build on the Deftones-like intensity of The Asymptotical World EP) further brand the imagery of "lips just like red flower petals" into listeners' minds, while "Parody"'s choral vocals and heroic guitar solo simultaneously elevate and deflate the artificiality of celebrity that Tumor challenges ("What makes you so important? Can you spell it out for us?"). However, Tumor's flair for melody and hooks is just as important to the album's success as their fearless questioning. Frequently, they make it seem easy to explore faith and love within tightly written songs that don't sacrifice complexity for immediacy. With its cheerleader chants and profound thoughts on belief, "Operator"'s post-punk-pop-hop rivals OutKast's "Hey Ya!" as an earworm of a song with deeper layers waiting to be unpeeled. Similarly, standouts like the gospel-tinged "In Spite of War" and rippling "Echolalia" manage to distill Tumor's music down to its catchiest incarnation while holding on to its essential mystery. Though the poppy compactness of these songs gives Praise a Lord a more consistent flow than Heaven to a Tortured Mind, Tumor revisits that record's maximalism at key points with striking results. "I love the color blue because it's in the sky and that's where God is," a child says on "Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood" while tumultuous noise, guitar, and Tumor's quicksilver harmonies evoke a battle between demons and angels; on "Ebony Eye," majestic strings and brass usher the album to its triumphant close. At once challenging and inviting, Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is another dazzling work from a creative whirlwind. Tumor may never find the answers they're seeking, but hearing their search is exhilarating and inspiring in its own right. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	04/28/2023
Label:	Warp
UPC:	5056614703696

Tracks

1. God Is a Circle
2. Lovely Sewer
3. Meteora Blues
4. Interlude
5. Parody
6. Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood
7. Operator
8. In Spite of War
9. Echolalia
10. Fear Evil Like Fire
11. Purified by the Fire
12. Ebony Eye

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Yves Tumor   Primary Artist
Lemar Carter   Drums
The Samples   Choir/Chorus
Jordan Katz   Brass
Noah Goldstein   Bass,Brass,Guitar,Fx Vocals,Keyboards
Brad Bowers   Bass
Shannon Funchess   Vocals
Elliott Kozel   Keyboards,Bass,Guitar,Fx Vocals
Simon Christensen   Fx Vocals
William Wadhams   Vocals
Daniel Aged   Guitar,Keyboards
Jesse Schuster   Bass
Devon Taylor   Brass
Chris Greatti   Guitar,Vocals
Dylan Wiggins   Bass,Keyboards
Heavy Mellow   Guitar
Jake Miller   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards
Psymun   Bass,Guitar,Fx Vocals,Keyboards
Kida   Vocals
Sean Bowie   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Fx Vocals,Keyboards
Yves Rothman   Guitar
Mowalola   Vocals
DETO BLACK   Vocals
Sasha Desree   Vocals
Tanner Orange   Vocals
Frank Nadolny   Vocals
Alexander Bazzi   Bass
Thoom   Vocals
Yuli   Strings
Joe Kennedy   Guitar
Kelly Moran   Keyboards
Rhys Hastings   Drums
ECCO2K   Vocals
John Carroll Kirby   Keyboards

Technical Credits

The Samples   Composer
Noah Goldstein   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Gabe Lowry   Assistant Engineer
Alan Moulder   Mixing
Elliott Kozel   Drum Programming,Composer,Producer
Simon Christensen   Composer
Nate Haessly   Assistant Engineer
Daniel Aged   Composer
Jordan Hemingway   Photography,Art Direction
Chris Greatti   Composer,Vocal Producer
Dylan Wiggins   Composer,Additional Production
Jake Miller   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming,Additional Production
Yves Tumor   Producer,Art Direction
Psymun   Producer,Drum Programming,Additional Production
Sean Bowie   Composer,Drum Programming,Executive Producer
Yves Rothman   Engineer,Producer,Additional Production
Tom Herbert   Mixing Assistant
Collin Fletcher   Design,Art Direction
Jordan Cantor   Assistant Engineer
Sasha Desree   Composer
Frank Nadolny   Composer
Alexander Bazzi   Composer
Joe LaPorta   Mastering
John Carroll Kirby   Composer
Taylor Jackson   Engineer
Finn Howells   Mixing Assistant