http://www.americana-uk.com/html/reviews.html (UK) This is one of those albums that reels you in immediately and intrigues you. After hearing the first few bars of 3D Mansions, Foma’s infectious twee indie pop is already managing to bore its way into your head. Like an insanely happy Flaming Lips cum Belle and Sebastian, the falsetto suiting the jangly melodies down to a tee. The female vocalist, Ariel Muniz, has a particularly beautiful voice and interlinks with Edward Burch’s voice to great effect on tracks like ‘Junior’and ‘Rooftops’. These tracks manage to maintain the twee jangling melodies, but also present an intriguing intensity and tension between the two vocals, which often sink back down into acoustic strumming leaving the listener invariably smiling. The track ‘Scared’ relies on a piano and the stripped back vocals of Edward Burch sounding remarkably like Matt Bellamy of Muse, while the swooning string arrangement and drums slowly form in the background. Highly enjoyable album, full of changes of pace and twisting and turning melodies, a band with great ability and even greater potential. 8 out of10 MB http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=1102074459751872 (US) Traces of '80s electronica, modern underground and classical influences permeate Icecaves; from the start, you get the sense that the band's indie credibility runs deep. Taking their lead from an odd mixture of independent music from the late eighties and early nineties, Foma play off of the work of their influences to craft strangely familiar songs. "Rooftops" and "Sydney Smathers", for instance, have a Pavement-meets-Throwing Muses feel, while "Mormon Defense Squad" is a catchier Camper Van Beethoven, with Heather Trost's cello taking the lead. On "Message To The Interplanetary Hitman", Edward Bunch and bassist Ariel Muniz share vocal duties, a partnership that smacks of the Blake Babies and the Pixies. Strangely, all of this "sounds like" stuff only works to the band's advantage, helping to differentiate them from the modern mainstream masses. On "Hitman", Bunch sings, "Who will shake their fist at the world / and tell me it's okay? / We're not dumb / but we're not free..." While it's sometimes politically irreverent, Foma's music is poppier than the work of their more famous Albuquerque brethren, The Shins -- but the results are very similar. You'll swear that you've heard Foma's clever indie pop before -- but you'll want to hear it again as soon as Icecaves ends. ---David A. Cobb http://www.tastyfanzine.org.uk/albums33%20dec04.htm..Foma%20%96%20Icecaves%20(Little%20Kiss%20Records) (UK) It gives me a glow inside to receive amazing little albums like this. Hot dog! Jumping frog! Foma are from Alberquerque, and they make such a fantastic little noise. ‘Icecaves’ is a brute to peg down, mainly because Foma use the odd piece of off-kilter indie rock to augment what is basically a sweet, sweet indie pop sound. But I give them extra pocket money for using a violin. But to get back to pop again; Foma do it just as good as anyone else. Whether it be the full on jangle onslaught that is ‘3D Mansions’ or the more ethereal, brittle beauty of ‘Junior’, POP! music is at the very centre of Foma. However, there is more to Foma than just a stab at jangle pop. ‘Rooftops’, for example teaches the vastly overrated Flaming Lips a thing or two about anthemic space-pop, and can rock out, angular style, like Pavement when they want to – see ‘Sydney Smathers’. All of which makes ‘Icecaves’ a very pleasing, decidedly old-skool indie pop album. Not indie pop in the sense of hairslides and hello kitty, but sometimes that can becomes far too sickly, but very much a pop record all the same. I embrace them. Sam Metcalf http://www.new-noise.net/list_198.html(US) "Albuquerque has only really featured in my life in songs by Neil Young and 'Weird Al' Yankovic until now, but I guess someone has to be from there, and Foma are. They make sweet-voiced lo-fi indie-rock sound like a bit of a doddle. Ariel Muniz's ice-cool tones blend effortlessly with Edward Burch's more high-school rock sound, and the result is a nice line in Grandaddy-esque, sepia-tinged melancholia. Additional cello and violin give them a bit of an edge, but there are no major surprises. All very lilting and pleasant and Sunday-afternoonish, though, with the outstanding track (and outstanding track name) being 'Nice dress, asshole'." Joanna Booth www.wigwambam.org (US) At first listen, I was a little disappointed that this full-length contains a number of songs from previous Foma, re-worked and re-mastered maybe, but "old". Of course, like all non-musicians, I always wanna know why my favorite bands don't write, rehearse, play and release new material each and every week--slackers! But as strikingly beautiful as this is, how can I complain-- besides asking for 35% more cello? Vibrant arrangements, deceptive shut-up-and-listen lyrics, a lotta fortissimo on the crescendo (huh?) and gorgeously breathy girly backing vox…sigh. This presents a full picture of a group reaching its height. For such a bunch of small-statured folk, Foma towers above the commonplace band that attempts but never achieves the same beauty--and kicks 'em to the gutter in the process.