Photo Courtesy of The Guardian and Jordan Hemingway
Album: Heaven To A Tortured Mind
Heaven To A Tortured Mind is an album Yves Tumor released in 2020 that gained attention for its heavy experimental sounds. This project brilliantly manipulates genres and establishes Yves Tumor as one of the more innovative artists of the 2020s. The album has a strong influence of Jimi Hendrix’s psychedelic rock, alongside the combination of new acid-like sounds. No two songs are the same with Yves Tumor, as each song features explosive choruses, loud guitars, and catchy riffs, something that had been missing from the indie(-pop) scene. However, this album hardly belongs to a single genre. Vaporwave, hypnagogic pop, neo-psychedelic, rock, funk, and soul are all combined through this project, and the 36-minute duration makes it exciting and far from boring.
Song: “Kerosene!”
There is a lustful and almost desperate sound heard throughout the record. Tumor’s lyrics often cry about the loss of a relationship and longing for love. Anxious and chaotic vocals remain consistent throughout the track, while others on the album are much more somber, such as in “Folie Imposee.” In “Kerosene!” Yves Tumor’s falsetto is heard, along with lyrics “I can be your baby in real life, sugar / I can live in your dreams” and the repeated refrain of “I need kerosene,” a toxic fuel for human consumption. The song is an emotional high point of the album as it portrays desperation and addiction to a past relationship. “Kerosene!” was my fifth most streamed song of 2021. The sheer and utter passion heard in Tumor’s scream-like vocals and lyrics of a suffocating longing to be loved make this song one of my all-time favorites.
Early 2020 Release
At the time of the release, on April 3, 2020, most of us were stuck inside because of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Everything felt redundant and annoying as we submerged ourselves in mind-numbing media. Heaven To A Tortured Mind was released during that time and brought a fresh sound to the rock genre. It was a noisy production that explored an alternative and modern interpretation of rock, electronic, soul, and funk. Yves Tumor pushed the boundaries of musical genres and redefined what it meant to be experimental. This album was the beginning of the alternative and experiential projects that are to come from the 2020s. (Think, Lil Yatchy’s 2023 album, Let’s Start Here).
Not Everyone’s Favorite Album
When listening to individual tracks, many of them are well-produced with unique psychedelic and hypnotic sounds. But when viewed as a whole project, the songs could be more cohesive with one another. For example, “Strawberry Privilege,” one of my favorites on the album, is much slower and more rhythmic than any other song, whereas “Medicine Burn” is a loud and catastrophic introduction to the album. While Heaven To A Tortured Mind is not an entirely cohesive album from front to back, what is so striking about Yves Tumor’s work is that it is consistently pushing boundaries, both sonically and compositionally.
Notable Tracks: “Gospel For A New Century,” “Kerosene!,” “Romanticist,” and “A Greater Love”
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Album: Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
On March 17th, 2023, just shy of three years after Yves Tumor’s previous album came out, their latest work, Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) was released. The album comprises fast-paced bass guitar, punk-ish drums, and exploratory psychedelic sounds which are consistent with Tumor’s history of fearlessly bending boundaries. This is a progressive and powerful rock album, while still combining neo-psychedelic, jazz, and electronic sounds. Upon first listen, this project does not feel as groundbreaking and experimental as previous works. Still, with more post-punk drums and smoother vocals, it is a cohesive piece of work. In Hot Between Worlds, there is more exploration into Tumor’s androgynous vocals, forming a signature sound, and enhancing the consistency of an entire project.
Song: “God Is A Circle”
The album begins with an intense opening track that features hyperventilating breaths, DJ scratches, and radar sounds. This song has a variety of gothic guitars and a rhythm of moans that feel poised yet experimental for the artist. When I first heard this track as a single, I was genuinely shocked. I thought Yves Tumor took his creativity to the next level with this song. It’s eerie and in some parts uncomfortable, yet further perpetrated that Yves Tumor is far from finished with their experimental tracks. To have this song introduce the album was a bold but good choice. “God Is a Circle” reminds fans of who Yves Tumor is at their core: an experimental artist who is always creating progressive sounds.
Breaking It Down
As this is a more consistent and whole piece of work compared to Yves’ previous album, Tumor’s vocals seemed to have softened and found their place within each track. The artist talks of death, God, religion, and relationships throughout the album. The tracks are dense and heavily layered with a variety of synths, drums, guitars, and vocals. The second track, “Lovely Sewer” is a fresh pop sound that incorporates female vocals, which I think pairs well with Yves Tumor’s range. “Operator” is where multiple layers of vocals, strings, synths, and drums are heard. While vocals may be monotone on this track, the intensity and electric guitar carry this song through. “In Spite Of War” is where the post-punk sounds are the clearest for me. The mix of modern indie punk drums and rock dominates the track. Like many Yves Tumor songs on this album, “Echolalia” is full of high energy and danceability, while the lyrics remain wistful and mysterious. “Ebony Eye” is a theatrical synth-filled track accompanied by a subtle electric guitar in the background that provides a well-rounded conclusion to the album.
My Overall Thoughts
Yves Tumor has remained the most consistent in sound with this project, in comparison to Heaven to a Tortured Mind. The songs flow well with one another and share similar recurring sounds between tracks. There is a new and advanced punk-pop sound that I think Yves’ is having fun with, but many of the songs aren’t as memorable as I’d hoped they’d be. I would love to hear songs with more vocal range exploration and include more female features. His vocals met with a harmony heard in “Kerosene!” and “Lovely Sewer” sounds incredible. I want to hear Yves Tumor collaborate with more artists for future projects; I think they could bring a variety of alternative sounds to an array of artists’ work. I feel as though something is holding Yves Tumor back with this project, I don’t think we’ve heard the best of him yet. Only their future projects and time will tell.
Notable Tracks: “God Is a Circle,” “Meteora Blues,” “Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood,” and “Operator”
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