Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) (2023)
Singles from Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
"God Is a Circle" Released: November 3, 2022
"Echolalia" Released: January 30, 2023
"Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood" Released: February 28, 2023
"Parody" Released: March 15, 2023
Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is the fifth studio album by American experimental electronic artist Yves Tumor. It was released on March 17, 2023, through Warp.
Background
Yves Tumor released the album's first single, "God is a Circle", on November 2, 2022, alongside a music video.[5] On January 30, 2023, they announced the album's title, release date, and track listing. On the same day, they released the album's second single, "Echolalia", alongside a music video.[6] They also announced the To Spite or Not to Spite Tour to support the album, starting on April 4, 2023 in Indio, California, and ending on November 27, 2023 in Dublin, Ireland, with Pretty Sick, Frost Children, Izzy Spears, Evanora Unlimited, and Nation.[7] On February 28, 2023, they released the album's third single, "Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood", alongside a music video.[8] On March 15, 2023, the album's fourth single was released, titled "Parody".[9]
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 86 out of 100 from 19 critic scores.[11] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[10]
The album received praise for its diverse production. Writing for Northern Transmissions, Otis Cohan Mone writes: "Ranging from post-punk and alternative dance to hard rock along with a light touch of heavy metal territory, Yves Tumor still does not leave you with any exact definition of the genre of their songs, continuing to hone and improve their stubborn skill to make their tracks both precise and incomprehensible at the same time." Ammar Kalia of Crack writes that the album is "ultimately Yves Tumor’s take on pop – a deliciously compressed offering harnessing their irrepressible energy; 12 infectious tracks that leave you wanting more."[19] Erica Campbell of NME states: "Tumor makes rock music in the way the counterculture movement the music grew out of is known for, with a focus on creativity, invention, and generating sounds that blast away expectations. With their latest album, ‘Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)’ the experimental producer and songwriter transcends even further, dipping into electronica, alt-pop and punk territory and landing on a collection of songs that are equally bizarre and delightful."[3]Exclaim!'s Allie Gregory writes: "Bewildering and disparate influences merge to form an agitation of genre, from the twinkles of Halifaxa-era witch house and Strokes-indebted bass notes on the glistening "Lovely Sewer," to the P.O.D.- and Incubus-inspired aughts rock of "Meteora Blues" [...] and the outright indie sleaze of "Operator.""[20]
The album received praise for its lyrics. Luke Cartledge of Loud and Quiet described the lyrics as "expertly meld[ing] romance, reflection, queerness and candour".[2]Consequence's Wren Graves writes that "the lyrics reward multiple listens, even as the melody is sticky enough to stay with you after a single time through."[21]NPR's Anupa Mistry writes: "There are hierarchies of gender, race, desire (as in needs, but also romance) and performance that Yves Tumor's music disrupts through its intense magnification and worship of life, death and spirituality. Praise A Lord could be heard as a thesis statement, the cohering of ideas, but I think its function is in breaking things apart."[22] Alisdair Grice of DIY writes: "Their blunt, affecting lyrics on ‘Praise A Lord…’ separates them from other leftfield pop acts, somehow creating grounding, brutal love songs amid the flurry of dance-pop and industrialnoise."[13]
The AllMusic review concludes: "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."[12]
In June 2023, Alternative Press published an unranked list of the top 25 albums of the year to date and included this release, calling it "a sheer pop thrill" that is "intoxicating, empowering you to relinquish yourself to the music completely and, primarily, feel just as free as the boundary-defying extraterrestrial behind the microphone".[23]