Ice Melt (Crumb album)
Ice Melt is a studio album by Crumb, released on April 30, 2021.[1]
| Ice Melt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg.webp) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 30, 2021 | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic pop, indie rock, dream pop | |||
| Label | Crumb Records | |||
| Producer | Jonathan Rado | |||
| Crumb chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
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
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]
Track listing
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 |
Personnel
- 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
Release
The album was released on April 30, 2021. Three songs from the album were released as singles, including "Trophy", "BNR", and "Balloon".[3]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Albumoftheyear.org | 72[6] |
| Metacritic | 76[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[8] |
| DIY |    |
| Clash | 7/10[9] |
| Beats Per Minute | 80/100[10] |
Reception
The album has a score of 76 on Metacritic, indicating "Generally favorable" reviews.[7] It received praise for layered instrumentals and strong vocals,[10] with some critics also writing favorably about its atmospheric songwriting.[8]
Nick Roseblade of Clash called it a "a delightful album filled with clever melodies and delicious vocals."[9]
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.
References
- "Crumb Announce New Album Ice Melt". Pitchfork. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- Martin, Josh (2021-04-14). "Crumb announce new album 'Ice Melt'". NME. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- "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.
- "Crumb - Ice Melt". albumoftheyear.org.
- "Ice Melt by Crumb". Metacritic.
- "Crumb: Ice Melt". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; ClashMusic (2021-04-29). "Crumb - Ice Melt". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Sentz, Tim (2021-05-03). "Album Review: Crumb – Ice Melt | Beats Per Minute". beatsperminute.com. Retrieved 2022-07-24.