Contributed by Amanda Long
The Marías' debut studio album, Cinema, solidified the indie/dream-pop band's unique sound that expertly combines jazz rhythms, psychedelic synths, and Latin percussion into a cohesive, breezy soundscape. With the release of their follow up album, Submarine, we see the band continue to build upon their sonic experimentation, velvety vocals, and colorful worldbuilding.
In the three years between the release of the two albums, the band has experienced a lot of change and uncertainty. In interviews with Alternative Press and Elle, lead singer, María Zardoya, and drummer and producer, Josh Conway, opened up about their breakup after eight years together and how this impacted the emotional and creative dynamic within the band.
After taking a much needed break and lots of self reflection and therapy, Zardoya and Conway, along with keyboardist Edward James and guitarist Jesse Perlman, have re-emerged stronger than ever. The Marías are now a solidified unit, exploring how love can be transformed from a lost romantic relationship into a powerful force of friendship and artistry.
Through their journey of heartbreak, isolation, and difficult change, a new visual and sonic aesthetic emerged, focused heavily on blue tones and deep water themes. In the build up to the release of Submarine, Zardoya discussed the intentional switch in direction from the fiery red of Cinema to the more subdued yet powerful blue motifs explored in Submarine. Color has consistently been an important tool for the band to represent their projects, with Zardoya explaining that blue represents “not only grief and loneliness, but also hope, rebirth, and exploration.”
Photograph by Bethany Vargas. All rights reserved.
The album cover and subsequent promo visuals hone into water imagery to represent the rebirth of the band members. Water has long been a symbol of rebirth in religious and historical contexts, which makes it a fitting symbol to represent The Marías’ emotional growth and sonic experimentation that manifests in Submarine. The contrast between the covers of Cinema to Submarine, with Zardoya closed into herself in the former and then looking up out of the water in the latter, contextualizes the “rebirth” that she and the rest of the band have experienced over the past few years.
The production work and music style also encompass the themes of solitude and heartbreak that transitions into something completely new and, ultimately, better. In their docuseries for Submarine, Conway and Zardoya discuss how much easier it felt to write together out of the context of a romantic relationship, and Conway explains how his production style has become freer and more experimental in this album.
We get our first taste of these changes with the opening track “Ride," which is filled with heavily muffled electric guitars layered with auto-tuned vocals. As Zardoya sings the last two lines, “Gonna be a ride/Introducing Submarine”, these deep guitar sounds cut out and sounds of water move in and consume the song, almost as if the listener is being submerged under the surface.
Photograph by Bethany Vargas. All rights reserved.
Songs like “Run Your Mouth," the first single of Submarine, and “Hamptons” consist of more upbeat funk and club inspired production, whereas most of the other tracks follow a softer, more melancholic style that matches the established blue theme. While dream-pop inspired tracks often run the risk of merging together on an album, Conway’s creative production ensures that each song is distinct. From the consistent drumbeat and buzzy, bubbly synths that dominate “Blur," to the complex percussion and bossa nova style guitar on “Ay No Puedo,” each song takes on a life of its own and tells a different piece of the band’s journey from grief and fear to renewed friendship and confidence.
The lyrics throughout the album further contribute to the overall feeling of isolation that Zardoya describes feeling after the breakup. “No One Noticed” touches on loss and separation from the very first line as María sings “Maybe I/Lost My Mind/No One noticed," later adding in the chorus –“Come on, don’t leave me,/It can’t be that easy, babe” – embodying the feeling of missing a loved one who is now far away.
“Paranoia” also touches on the anxiety that a faltering relationship can create: “Why do you think I have another?/When you have always been the one/Your paranoia is annoying/Now all I wanna do is run.” These lyrical motifs coupled with the more somber and simple production on the tracks contribute to the overall feeling of relationship derailment and loneliness that drive the album.
Photograph by Bethany Vargas. All rights reserved.
All of these mixing emotions, the contrasts between hope and grief that manifest in both the musicality and lyrics of the album, come to a head on the final track, “Sienna." With this final song, the band creates a gradually expanding aura of sound that builds into a crescendo that immediately cuts out, throwing the listener off the sonic submarine that the band has created over the 45 minute album and back into the water sounds from the opening track that begin the cycle again. Submarine is a rebirth, not only for The Marías but also for their listeners.
The detailed thought and time put into crafting the universe of Submarine was not lost on fans listening to the album upon its release. Over the past week, many have taken to the band’s Instagram and Reddit to express their love for the new music. One fan commented, “such an ethereal masterpiece encapsulating the grief, sorrow, & nostalgia of lost love,” while another on Reddit simply stated, “If your vintage clothing store and cafe isn’t playing this you should stop going.”
Another common consensus among fans in the comments was the excitement to hear the new songs performed live. After announcing an exclusive album release show in Los Angeles, the band was overwhelmed by the amount of RSVPs they received, even taking the time to message fan accounts with their gratitude: “We didn’t expect so many people to RSVP or wanna come to this show, but I can assure you our team is prepping for it and only want us all to have a great time and celebrate.”
Submarine has continued to solidify The Marías influence in the indie music scene. The band’s dedication to taking risks with their sound while creating an intentional, engaging listening experience has pushed their artistry to new heights, both charming and expanding their dedicated fan base around the world.
