Ice Melt is a studio album by Crumb, released on April 30, 2021.[1]
| Ice Melt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 30, 2021 | |||
| Length | 29:32 | |||
| Label | Crumb | |||
| Producer | Jonathan Rado | |||
| Crumb chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe 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
editThe 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
editThe 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
editAll 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
- Maeve Feinberg - strings
- 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.