Downward Is Heavenward

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Downward Is Heavenward is the fourth studio album by Hum, a band from Champaign, Illinois. It was released on January 27, 1998, after being recorded in 1997 at Pogo Studio in Champaign. The album runs 52 minutes and 4 seconds and blends styles like alternative rock, post-hardcore, space rock, shoegaze, and alternative metal. It was released by RCA and produced by Mark Rubel and Hum. This album came after You'd Prefer an Astronaut (1995) and before Inlet (2020).

Two singles were released from the album: "Comin' Home" and "Green to Me." "Comin' Home" appeared on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, starting at #39 on February 14, 1998 and peaking at #37 the following week. "Green to Me" was released on April 13, 1998. The album’s title appears as a lyric in the song "Afternoon with the Axolotls."

Even though it sold fewer copies than Hum’s previous album, Downward Is Heavenward was highly acclaimed by critics. Pitchfork’s Brent DiCrescenzo called it abrasive yet graceful, and AllMusic’s Ned Raggett praised it as Hum’s best album and a lost classic of 1990s rock. In 1999, Pitchfork placed the album at #81 on its list of the top 100 albums of the 1990s.

For fans who pre-ordered the album, a bonus single was included. The 2018 vinyl release and the 2023 CD reissue added extra bonus tracks.