Even on their most pop-leaning project to date, Yves Tumor makes sure they don’t lose sight of their unabashedly experimental nature.

The Miami-bred, Turin-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist born Simon Bowie infuses their fourth studio offering with plenty of neo-psychedelia, 70s funk, and Prince-esque guitars for an LP that feels like a more polished, smooth-edged extension of their acclaimed Warp Records debut, Safe in the Hands of Love (2018).

Yves’ haunting, genre-bending style is on display right out of the gate with lead single/song-of-the-year contender, “Gospel for a New Century.” A slick, head-bobbing mishmash of 90s hip-hop and Bond theme-worthy string samples, its stylistic elements borrow from both Gorillaz and TV on the Radio while turning that era of early-2000s indie/alt-rock completely upside down.

“Medicine Burn” sounds like a freaked-out take on Tame Impala’s earlier rock-heavy material, while fellow highlight “Kerosene!” is a dreamy number making heavy use of both lush guitar tones and expressive co-vocalist Diana Gordon.

Heaven To A Tortured Mind is a record that showcases how adept Yves Tumor is at balancing both their pop sensibilities and boundless appetite for sonic exploration.

Best Track: “Gospel for a New Century”

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