Not For Radio Melt
Not For Radio's Melt arrives as a hushed, exploratory solo statement that knits trip-hop influence, analogue production and intimate songwriting into a small, immersive world. Across four professional reviews the record earned an 80.25/100 consensus score, and critics consistently point to its strongest moments as concentrated, mood-driven songs rather than pop ambitions. That quick verdict answers the common question of whether Melt is good: reviewers largely agree that it succeeds where it commits to atmosphere and detail.
Reviewers praise specific best songs on Melt—“Slip”, “Swan” and “Puddles” recur as standout tracks—while also highlighting ballads like “Back To You” and the 1960s-tinged “My Turn” for their melodic clarity. Critics note the album's downtempo art-pop and tropicalia touches, dreamily nostalgic lyricism, and nature imagery; those themes give coherence to moments of grief, longing and healing that run through the record. Professional reviews from Variety and Rolling Stone emphasize memorable hooks and lush arrangements, while AllMusic and Clash commend the intimate, analogue textures and occasionally fragile vocal delivery.
The critical consensus praises Melt for its world-building and emotional specificity but acknowledges limits: some reviewers find the mood so insular that occasional songs feel like sketches rather than fully realized pop statements. Taken together across four reviews, the album reads as a rewarding, introspective detour in Zardoya's catalog that will satisfy listeners seeking atmospheric depth and a handful of genuinely standout tracks. Proceed to the full reviews below to see what critics say about each song and why these particular tracks emerge as the best on Melt.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Puddles
3 mentions
"The opening track, "Puddles," has a simple descending keyboard hook that evokes dripping water"— Variety
Slip
4 mentions
"The closing moment, 'Slip,' is haunting."— Clash Music
Back To You
3 mentions
"The breezy, piano-driven "Moment" and the ballad "Back to You" are the most Marías-like songs here"— Variety
The opening track, "Puddles," has a simple descending keyboard hook that evokes dripping water
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Puddles
My Turn
Moment
Back To You
Swan
Not the Only One
Magnet
Vueltas
Water On Your Nose
Slip
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Not For Radio's Melt is a hushed, introspective debut that makes its best case on intimate tracks like “My Turn” and “Slip”, songs where wispy vocals and atmospheric production do most of the work. The reviewer leans into the album's dreamily atmospheric, pillowy essence and singles out “My Turn” as a 1960s-evoking keyboard ballad with slinky bass, and “Slip” as a trip-hop-inflected closer that implies futility. Mention of nature-tinted titles such as “Puddles” and “Swan” supports the record's thematic cohesion, making clear which tracks stand out when asked for the best songs on Melt. Overall the voice stays admiring but measured, suggesting these are the best tracks on the album while acknowledging its intimate reach.
Key Points
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The best song is "My Turn" for its 1960s-evoking keyboard balladry and wispy vocal delivery.
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The album's core strengths are its dreamy, intimate atmosphere and consistent nature-inflected imagery.
Themes
Critic's Take
Not For Radio’s Melt feels like a deliberate sidestep from the Marías, a solo trip that nonetheless yields some of Zardoya’s strongest hooks. The reviewer singles out “Puddles” for its impossible-to-forget descending keyboard hook, and points to breezy highlights such as “Moment” and the ballad “Back to You” as the most Marías-like moments. There is praise for the more adventurous, ’90s trip-hop-tinged tracks and for the Spanish-language turn on “Vueltas”, all of which makes the question of “best songs on Melt” tilt toward those hooks and mood pieces. The narrative emphasizes that while Melt is a side-journey, it is a diverse and compelling chapter in Zardoya’s work.
Key Points
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The opening track "Puddles" is the best song due to its unforgettable descending keyboard hook.
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The album’s core strengths are its strong hooks, trip-hop and tropicalia influences, and evocative, wintry atmosphere.
Themes
Critic's Take
In this review James Mellen finds Not For Radio’s Melt to be an intimate and richly constructed record, and he points to the best songs as evidence. He singles out “Not the Only One” as the cut that "summarises 'Melt' the best," praising Zardoya’s effortless performance, and praises “Swan” for its Radiohead-like controlled crescendos. He also highlights the closing “Slip” as haunting, noting the cracks in her voice give a close, inward performance. The result reads as a concise, dreamlike set of best tracks on Melt, where analogue textures and world-building make these songs stand out.
Key Points
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The best song is “Not the Only One” because it 'summarises' the album and showcases effortless vocal performance and evocative instrumentation.
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The album's core strengths are intimate analogue production, consistent world-building, and melancholic, downtempo songwriting.
Themes
Critic's Take
In her solo guise as Not For Radio, María Zardoya has fashioned Melt into a lush, labyrinthine world where nature and feeling collide, and the best tracks - notably “Swan” and “Magnet” - carry the album’s emotional weight. The record relishes in detailed natural imagery and intimate confession, so songs like “Puddles” and “Slip” feel essential for how they texture the landscape. Zardoya’s voice and the trio’s playful arrangements make these songs the best tracks on Melt, balancing fragility and invention with a clear melodic pull.
Key Points
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“Swan” is the best song because its playful arpeggiated synths and longing melody crystallize the album’s core emotion.
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The album’s strength lies in its nature-infused imagery, intimate vocals, and adventurous arrangements.