Feature Review: Wait Til the Ice Melts--New [wordless] Music from the Lone Star State

The here-and-there national media coverage that Wait Til the Ice Melts, an electronic music compilation, has received seems to suggest, not without a hint of mockery, that it's somehow a shock that the massive state of Texas can come up with anything beyond yokel-driven acoustic guitar and other brands of slack-jawed musical idiocy. Maybe it's the subtitle of the compilation which is causing the problem, as "New Music" doesn't necessarily imply electronic music, or wordlessness in any way; or maybe, conversely, it's the presence of the word "Texas" which is causing the problem, as that five-letter word seems to evoke in non-residents a sense of simplemindedness, Bushism, pickup trucks, cowboy boots, and hootenanny tomfoolery. But to get past these preconceived notions is to dig into Wait Til the Ice Melts, Exponential Records' way of doing us all a favor by culling from hundreds of possibilities a quick and satisfying mix of electronica from contiguous America's largest state.

Although as with any compilation, there are some inconsistencies, like that great mix tape you got from a friend that slipped in one too many Norah Jones tracks among all the Ramones and Pixies. The good news here is that the inconsistencies and weak spots are brief, as even when a track doesn't blend well with the others, or doesn't hold up terribly well on its own, you're only a couple minutes away from sweet reprieve--truth is, most of the compilation is solid, and does an excellent job demonstrating the diversity and oft-unrecognized ingenuity of Texas' electronic scene. But, for the sake of full disclosure, like with many wordless releases, the absence of vocals to hold onto and guide the music means that this collection may take a few listens to truly embrace.

Highlights here are abundant, as Diego's "Father's Son" is a junky and wonderful tune built around a haunting darkness you might find buried deep within a song by Burial, "Urakt" by Horizontal K is a galloping and self-consciously fun lesson on making simple beats interesting, and Rae Davis' "Pyramids" is a gentle jazz-influenced tune that slows the atmosphere while incorporating not only micro-beats and glitches, but flute. Also particularly engaging are "Forgive Me," by Aether216, which sounds like updated Hooverphonic, "Out of the Blue" by [On Hiatus], which has an almost Dust Brothers-y moodiness to it, and "The Liar," by Dead Waiter, which introduces piano and fuzz in a number you could almost slow-dance to--it also provides some of the more beautiful moments on the disc. Really, after repeated listens to the record's fourteen tracks, there are that many actual highlights, which is a pleasant surprise on a compilation, and especially one with such a particular focus.