The Marías have never fit easily into the confines of genre. Indie pop is not enough to fully encapsulate the psychedelic and hypnotic sounds that they create. Their explorative yet nostalgic music features unique influences of jazz and lounge and is never ordinary. I have been a fan of this group since their debut album CINEMA in 2021.
Their newest work is Submarine, a 14-track album that, according to the band in an interview with Variety, is inspired by “films like Krzysztof Kieślowski’s 1993 drama Three Colors Blue, in which the protagonist of the film endures isolating, emotional pain after losing her entire family in a car accident.” The film depicts a complicated and emotional journey of self-discovery, reflected in Submarine as each song crescendos through pain to purpose. The album brings listeners underwater, into an emotional soundscape of dreamy blue.
The album opens with “Ride”, a synth-driven introduction featuring repeated lines in distorted vocals that are not only words but an instrument of their own.
"We can make a movie / We can take our time, introducing Submarine / Careful while you're cruising / Gonna be a ride, introducing Submarine"
All intricacies of the album are truly set up by the juxtaposition of the nods to leisure in "We can take our time" and "Cruising", the references to danger and excitement in "Careful" and "Gonna be a ride", and the sense of possibility in "We can make a movie". Ideas of love and sadness coexist in tracks like “Hamptons”, which includes a techno-inspired beat and maintains the dreamy underwater theme. In “Echo”, singer Maria Zardoya admits: "I wonder what it’s like to be alone / If you won’t call me back / I guess, I’ll know"
"I wonder what it’s like to be alone / If you won’t call me back / I guess, I’ll know"
The song is embellished with bubble-like effects as sadness and distress overtake the love that once was.
“Run Your Mouth” is the lead single from Submarine and has a cool and funky sound with a clear sense of confidence and power. Lines like, “I don’t want to listen,” coupled with the electric riffs and unstoppable forward motion, take a step away from the previously more melancholy tone of the album.
“Real Life” and “Blur” continue the underwater-inspired sound, with elements of psychedelia coupled with entrancing vocals. Light and aquatic-sounding riffs in “Paranoia” complement the distorted guitar solos, just as lyrics “Kissing the flowers in my hair” and “Your paranoia is annoying / Now all I wanna do is run,” despite their differences, complete each other as they portray the complicated feelings that Zardoya has for her lover.
"Your paranoia is annoying / Now all I wanna do is run”
Zardoya switches to Spanish in “Lejos de Ti”, tapping into her Puerto Rican identity. This is my favorite track of the album. It is tragically beautiful, portraying both hope and inspiration as well as an overwhelming sense of loss. “Ay No Puedo”, also sung in Spanish, takes inspiration from bossa nova, with clave rhythms in the percussion. Both catchy and moody, it captures listeners from the first note.
“Love You Anyway” is another song that takes on new influences while still maintaining the magical sound of the album as a whole. It has a strong R&B sound mixed with the psychedelic indie style more typical of The Marías. The lyrics, again, return to the duality seen throughout Submarine as Zardoya sings, "I know that you’ve always been in love with me / But I know that you’ve also had to watch me leave.”
She expresses her insecurities, saying she “may never find the words to say,” but that her devotion to her lover remains as she vows to “wait another lifetime so that [she] could stay.”
“No One Noticed” is resonant and atmospheric, but there is a subtle sense of urgency behind the loneliness expressed in the lyrics. The song starts with passive lines like “No one noticed,” “All alone,” “May have lost it,” and even “I have lost it.” However, by the end, the listener swells above the loneliness as lyrics like “I’m so over being lonely” and “If you believe me, I guess I’ll get on a plane” force connection, even when it may not be wanted.
The enthralling and undeniably groovy “Vicious Sensitive Robot” continuously builds to a sudden outro, which abruptly brings the music to a more thoughtful space. This provides a perfect introduction to “If Only”. The track is contemplative and mournful—a noir piano ballad, yearning for connection. For now, Zardoya sings, “I’ll only see you in my dreams.”
“I’ll only see you in my dreams”
The album concludes with “Sienna”. This song is quietly intense, and shimmering with emotion. It truly brings the album full circle, as lines like “I smile when I think of all the times we had” transcend beyond loss towards a new beginning. The final line of the album is “see her face in the forest / Then it disappears.” Then, the music does just that: disappears, leaving only underwater-inspired sounds that one may hear from inside of a submarine, fading out.
Overall, Submarine is a truly masterful work. Very few albums can maintain a consistent theme and sound while making each song unique and distinct. The Marías have done just that with the lush, underwater ambience of Submarine. This group is one from which I am very excited to hear more and surely isn’t going away anytime soon.
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