Ice Melt is a studio album by Crumb, released on April 30, 2021.[1]

Ice Melt
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 30, 2021 (2021-04-30)
Length29:32
LabelCrumb
ProducerJonathan Rado
Crumb chronology
Jinx
(2019)
Ice Melt
(2021)
Amama
(2024)

Production

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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

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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

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The album was released on April 30, 2021. Three songs from the album were released as singles, including "Trophy", "BNR", and "Balloon".[3]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
Beats Per Minute80/100[7]
Clash7/10[8]
DIY     
Pitchfork7.5/10[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

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All tracks are written by Crumb

Ice Melt track listing
No.TitleLength
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

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  • 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

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  1. ^ "Crumb Announce New Album Ice Melt". Pitchfork. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  2. ^ a b Martin, Josh (2021-04-14). "Crumb announce new album 'Ice Melt'". NME. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  3. ^ a b "Crumb announce sophomore album Ice Melt". Consequence. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  4. ^ "In Conversation: Crumb Talk Making Colorful Music in Dark Times". FLOOD. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  5. ^ Hyland, Samuel (2021-04-29). "Psychedelic Indie-Rock Band Crumb Comes Back Down to Earth". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  6. ^ a b "Ice Melt by Crumb". Metacritic.
  7. ^ a b Sentz, Tim (2021-05-03). "Album Review: Crumb – Ice Melt | Beats Per Minute". beatsperminute.com. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  8. ^ a b Roseblade, Nick (2021-04-29). "Crumb - Ice Melt". Clash. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  9. ^ a b "Crumb: Ice Melt". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2022-07-24.