Ice Melt (Crumb album)
| Ice Melt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 30, 2021 | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic pop, indie rock, dream pop | |||
| Length | 29:32 | |||
| Label | Crumb Records | |||
| Producer | Jonathan Rado | |||
| Crumb chronology | ||||
| ||||
Ice Melt is a studio album by Crumb, released on April 30, 2021.[1]
Production[edit]
The album was written over the course of two years, and was first demoed by Crumb frontwoman Lila Ramani in 2019.[2] It was recorded at a Los Angeles studio and produced by Jonathan Rado of Foxygen.[3] It was produced and released independently on the band's own label, Crumb Records.[4][2]
Composition[edit]
Ice Melt incorporates psychedelic pop, indie and jazz instrumentals.
The album features fluidity and water imagery. During recording, the band lowered a microphone protected by a condom into a bucket of water, so that they could produce an underwater sound effect.[5]
Release[edit]
The album was released on April 30, 2021. Three songs from the album were released as singles, including "Trophy", "BNR", and "Balloon".[3]
Reception[edit]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Beats Per Minute | 80/100[7] |
| Clash | 7/10[8] |
| DIY |    |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[9] |
The album has a score of 76 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[6] It received praise for layered instrumentals and strong vocals,[7] with some critics also writing favorably about its atmospheric songwriting.[9]
Nick Roseblade of Clash called it a "a delightful album filled with clever melodies and delicious vocals".[8]
Alex Cabre of DIY gave the album a more negative review, saying it "struggles to reach the same bright heights as its predecessor." He criticized the album as lacking direction or momentum.
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Crumb
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Up & Down" | 3:23 |
| 2. | "BNR" | 3:01 |
| 3. | "Seeds" | 3:21 |
| 4. | "L.A." | 2:17 |
| 5. | "Gone" | 3:32 |
| 6. | "Retreat!" | 1:30 |
| 7. | "Trophy" | 3:12 |
| 8. | "Balloon" | 3:05 |
| 9. | "Tunnel (All That You Had)" | 3:37 |
| 10. | "Ice Melt" | 2:28 |
| Total length: | 29:32 | |
Personnel[edit]
- Lila Ramani – guitar, vocals
- Jesse Brotter – bass, vocals
- Bri Aronow – synthesizers, keyboard, saxophone
- Jonathan Gilad – drums
- Jonathan Rado – production
- Joe LaPorta – mastering engineer
- Michael Harris – mixing, engineering
References[edit]
- ^ "Crumb Announce New Album Ice Melt". Pitchfork. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- ^ a b Martin, Josh (2021-04-14). "Crumb announce new album 'Ice Melt'". NME. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- ^ a b "Crumb announce sophomore album Ice Melt". Consequence. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- ^ "In Conversation: Crumb Talk Making Colorful Music in Dark Times". FLOOD. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- ^ Hyland, Samuel (2021-04-29). "Psychedelic Indie-Rock Band Crumb Comes Back Down to Earth". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- ^ a b "Ice Melt by Crumb". Metacritic.
- ^ a b Sentz, Tim (2021-05-03). "Album Review: Crumb – Ice Melt | Beats Per Minute". beatsperminute.com. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- ^ a b Roseblade, Nick (2021-04-29). "Crumb - Ice Melt". Clash. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- ^ a b "Crumb: Ice Melt". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2022-07-24.