Downward Is Heavenward

Downward Is Heavenward is the fourth studio album by the Champaign, Illinois alternative rock band Hum.

Downward Is Heavenward
Studio album by Hum
Released	January 27, 1998 (1998-01-27)
Recorded	1997
Studio	Pogo Studio, Champaign, Illinois
Genre	Alternative rock post-hardcore space rock shoegaze
Length	52:04
Language	English
Label	RCA
Producer	Mark Rubel, Hum
Hum chronology
You'd Prefer an Astronaut (1995) Downward Is Heavenward (1998) Inlet (2020)
Singles from Downward Is Heavenward
"Comin' Home" Released: January 1998 "Green to Me" Released: 1998

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The A.V. Club	(positive)^[2]
The Boston Phoenix	^[3]
Chicago Tribune	^[4]
Pitchfork	8.3/10^[5]
MusicHound Rock	^[6]
Punknews.org	^[7]

Release

Downward Is Heavenward was recorded in 1997, and first released on January 27, 1998, by RCA Records. Some websites such as AllMusic list it as being a 1997 album rather than a 1998 album,^[1] presumably because all versions of the album bear a 1997 copyright date.

The title of the album appears as a lyric in "Afternoon with the Axolotls".

Reception

Despite selling fewer copies than its predecessor You'd Prefer an Astronaut, the album was critically acclaimed. Brent DiCrescenzo from Pitchfork Media praised the abrasive but graceful nature of the album, writing, "A listen to Downward Is Heavenward actually scrubs off a layer of skin, yet Hum still manage to infuse grace and control into their skyward swirl."^[5] Ned Raggett from Allmusic wrote, "Having scored their fluke hit with 'Stars', Hum hunkered down and created a follow-up album that went nowhere, leading to the band's splintering. An unfortunate result all around, because, arguably, Downward Is Heavenward isn't merely the group's best album, but a lost classic of '90s rock, period."^[1] In 1999, Pitchfork Media placed the album at #81 on their top 100 albums of the 1990s.^[8]

Track listing

1. "Isle of the Cheetah" – 6:38
2. "Comin' Home" – 2:45
3. "If You Are to Bloom" – 5:11
4. "Ms. Lazarus" – 3:38
5. "Afternoon with the Axolotls" – 6:27
6. "Green to Me" – 3:56
7. "Dreamboat" – 6:07
8. "The Inuit Promise" – 6:07
9. "Apollo" – 5:47
10. "The Scientists" – 5:26

Bonus single (received by fans who pre-ordered the album)

1. "Puppets" – 4:11
2. "Aphids" – 6:08

2018 vinyl release bonus tracks

11. "Puppets" – 4:11
12. "Aphids" – 6:08
13. "Boy with Stick" – 5:42

Personnel

Hum

• Jeff Dimpsey – bass guitar
• Tim Lash – guitar
• Bryan St. Pere – drums
• Matt Talbott – guitar, vocals

Additional personnel

• Mark Rubel – production

References

1. Raggett, Ned. "Downward is Heavenward — Hum". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
2. Thompson, Stephen (29 March 2002). "Hum: Downward Is Heavenward". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
3. Randall, Mac (March 13, 1998). "Off The Record". The Boston Phoenix. Vol. 27, no. 11. p. 45. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
4. Caro, Mark (February 27, 1998). "Recordings". Chicago Tribune. p. F50. ProQuest 2288267840.
5. DiCrescenzo, Brent (1 February 1998). . Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 6 March 2007. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
6. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 566.
7. Williams, Mark (28 April 2001). "Hum - Downward Is Heavenward". Retrieved 17 March 2012.
8. . Archived from the original on 2006-08-06. Retrieved 4 October 2011.