Iceblink – “Carpet Cocoon” – [Moon Glyph]

Thurston Hunger   3/29/2023   12-inch, A Library

Iceblink is Lynn Avery, this 2020 release of instros was created during that winter in Minneapolis aiming to create a cozy vibe. Pieces do radiate a warmth, a weird-but-not-jaded joy. At times I felt like I was in the neighborhood of Peewee’s Playhouse. Kindergarteners bloom on #6, and several tracks have very clean sax visitors drop in. Cole the Pulice on 1, 2, 3, 5. Mitch the Stahlmann adds Saxo-Flute on 3, 5, 8, 9. On “Vocoder Upright” I’m not even sure I heard a vocoder but apparently Lynn’s nylon guitar was fed through one at times, maybe more on “The Old Tape.” The nylon guitar is her predominant instrument, keyboards chirp in often, and some electric guitar burrows in to the carpet at times. I enjoyed the back half of this sort of new age mini-golf homekit. “Microsong” leads with synth and adds in round metallic gongs, a bird paradise opens up and tape flutters a little noisily before the song verges off into a sort of toy gamelan land. “Duet” rises and falls, and rises and falls, like your breath waiting for the cocoa to cool. A very gentle psych flavor, more tiny marshmallows than mushrooms. “Carpet Cocoon” indeed.
-Thurston Hunger