Swim - ICEBERG (EP) (Indie Rock) It’s been quite a pleasure to wade our way into ICEBERG’s Swim project—a brilliantly produced effort chock full of pop gems meant to appear on Top 40 radio. Creative and personal lyrics matched with a consistently lush production, Swim is one of those “play through” albums that doesn’t lose your attention once. Catchy, relatable and highly sing-along-able, Swim is a success.
Which makes it even more impressive that Swim was produced by the artist herself. A Pennsylvania-born artist/producer with ambient indie rock in her soul, this classically trained pianist has also engineered and written for X-Factor winner Matt Terry. And so it gives us great pleasure to not only celebrate ICEBERG as a performer, but also as a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist able to bring her vision to life in nearly every respect.
We start with the general and move into the specific. If we had to give ICEBERG’s project a chart-topping pop radio comparison, we’d say if you liked Alessia Cara’s “Know-It-All” album or are a fan of Sara Bareilles, you’ll feel right at home swimming through all seven tracks of Swim. There’s a melancholy air to the project, with a consistent midtempo flow, centered on live instrumentation and classic song construction that we are happy to say pulls off the hat trick of making the songs both firmly rooted in today and yet timeless. The way the tracks are constructed, they are destined for longevity and to continue reaching audiences long after release.
ICEBERG’s vocals are both strong and intimate. They sit very “front” in most of the mixes with powerful, yet restrained, deliveries which beckon the listener to pull up a chair and lose themselves in the stories told throughout the album. Background vocals are also incorporated subtly, sitting far back in the mixes often in swirling reverbs that add emotional weight to the tracks, making them feel anthemic. It’s a great balance that the songs are so intimate and yet still BIG. Listening to Swim, we have no doubt that ICEBERG is a great live performer—vocal tricks are spare on this album, the vocal production is very light touch—and we can visualize the tracks on Swim filling any venue.
Now, to our standout tracks. Our favorites sit on the backhalf of the project—10ft, Nothing At All and Don’t Give A Fuck. 10ft is a powerful ballad, and tugs on the heartstrings the most out of all the tracks. The verbed wailing guitar and strings swell with emotion and ICEBERG’s vocal range is on full display, from the powerful belt down to the intimate coos. The chord progressions are really driving, they fill your body when listening to them, and the descent at the end of the chorus where she repeats the title is intoxicating, giving us a touch of Fiona Apple.
Nothing At All feels the most radio friendly, mostly due to its distinct lyrics and expertly crafted slow build. This one really sweeps you along and the chorus is very memorable and sing-along-able. But if you want to talk about build and drive, then it’s the finale that you want—Don’t Give A Fuck. The tension is palpable throughout and that kick drum thuds so good—hits you right in the chest. While the entire effort is well produced, Don’t Give A Fuck is a standout and a great track for ICEBERG to take her bow.
Final word: dive into Swim, we guarantee many replays.