REVIEW: The Marías release second album 'Submarine'

Image: Ashley Olah
Published: 3 June 2024

American pop-indie-latin band The Marías, headed by Puerto Rican born María Zardoya, formed in 2016 with their first EP dropping in 2017 to almost instant critical acclaim and massive streaming numbers.. They create absolutely beguiling music that crosses over pop, disco, electronica, soul, indie, trip hop and jazz.

Their 2019 downbeat, fuzzy cover of Britney Spears ‘…Baby One More Time’ in 2019 has accumulated streams in the tens of millions and In 2021 they released their debut album Cinema which went on to receive a Grammy nomination.

They have just released their second album Submarine, 14 tracks written in the main by Zardoya and bandmate Josh Conway. The album continues the elevated soundscape their fans have fallen in love with, with lush production and entrancing vocals that are warm, inviting and almost bewitching, alongside a number of deviations into newer sounds.

The album starts with the short, 1 minute 21 second electro-rock ‘Ride’, with distorted vocals and a heavy beat before moving into the plinky opener of ‘Hamptons’. It soon develops into a trancey, electronic dance track, evolving the electronic pop that has always been present in The Marías sound further than before. It is a sound that is again explored on first single ‘Run Your Mouth’, which is also full of danceable beats but on this occasion they lean more heavily into disco and funk, with a sound that builds in intensity as the song progresses. Zardoya’s voice is more breathy, and in a higher register as she sings of her own tendency to run away from important conversations. “I was conflict avoidant at the time and whenever someone wanted to talk about something serious, I’d run and hide. I learned that was a protective mechanism and I didn’t have the capacity to open up,” she said on the single’s release.

‘Real Life’ has a cinematic jazz-crossed-with indie pop feel, while ‘Blur’ has a drowsily euphoric feel, hazy and withdrawn, with Zardoya’s vocal almost secondary to the music and it blissfully drifts along. ‘Paranoia’ has some absolutely delicious, dreamy melodies against a soft rock foundation with electronica injections. The lyrics explore how distrust in a relationship can ultimately destroy it: ‘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 away.’

‘Love You Anyway’ begins with what sounds like a discordant pinball machine and is arguably one of the most diverse song on the album; there are elements of R&B, dream pop, rock and indie, making it an intriguing listen that always brings you back for more.

‘Vicious Sensitive Robot’ moves the album into more experimental, trip-hop territory with Zardoya’s vocals the main focus of the song, until midway through when gorgeous strings swoop into the electronic soundscape. The lyrics tell a story of a troubled relationship: “Anything to take the pain away / And if you don’t see why I gotta go / Maybe I should get away.”

‘If Only’ is a magnificently assured song. Starting as a smoky, piano ballad it later brings in brass instruments to give the song a haunting, jazz sound. Lyrically sparse, with the words creating more questions than answers, it is a beautiful, mesmerising song that will leave you entranced.

The album ends with ‘Sienna’, a wonderfully atmospheric song that speaks of longing and desire and something that is now no longer part of Zardoya’s life: “I can feel you with me / Like I did before”. A smooth, dreamlike track it is absolutely entrancing, yet the sense of loss and melancholy that is the root of the song is make painfully clear as the hypnotic music abruptly cuts out as Zardoya sings ‘Then it disappears’ at the end of the song before 15 seconds of distant, howling wind ends the album.

Submarine is a magnificent, at times mysterious, album that is often inexplicable in the feelings it engenders in you - you might not know why, but it will move you deeply. With a range of both sounds and emotions, this is an album to fully immerse yourself in one sitting - cherry picking a couple of tracks does yourself a disservice. The Marías have always been a very special band, and Submarine showcases them at their finest. Their best work, and quite possibly one of 2024’s best albums, to date.

Submarine is out now via Warner Music Australia. You can buy and stream here.
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