| Crumbs second album, Ice Melt, takes its name from the coarse blend of salts that you can buy from your local hardware store for $9.99. When sprinkled on your wintry steps, this mixture absorbs water and gives off heat, transforming the ice into a viscous, briney slush and, eventually, nothing at all. Beginning with the dynamic chaos of "Up & Down," and ending with Crumbs closest thing to a lullaby, Ice Melt s ten tracks combine, like ice sculptures melting into a glistening puddle.kkFrom the start, the group knew that cohesion was best achieved through plumbing their individual strengths- frontwoman Lila Ramanis earliest songwriting, which catalyzed the groups first two EPs; Bri Aronows knack for building (dis)affecting soundscapes; the hypnotic grounding of Jonathan Gilads drums, a Crumb mainstay; and Jesse Brotters distinctive bass playing, which subtly traces Ramanis vocal melodies while providing an unrelenting pulse. These collective skills make Crumb a project of independent self-discovery, four creative minds converging around an idea that is always shifting and reforming.kkConvening in Los Angeles to work with producer Jonathan Rado, Crumb tapped into atmosphere-creation like never before, building experimental compositions that are at turns head-nodding and surrealist, energetic and euphoric. Ramani characterizes the album as a "return back down to earth," a deeply felt examination of "real substances and beings that live on this planet." It is also the cultivation of road-worn musicians exploring brand-new sounds and thematic concepts, pushing themselves into territory they could never have anticipated five years ago. |
