Submarine is the second album from LA indie pop band, The Marías. Before I had listened to this album for the review, I had never heard of them before. The one great thing about writing these reviews, is that it exposes me to new music. As a result, it really broadens my horizons and diversifies my taste in music. Some cool facts I learned about the band are that they record music in both English and Spanish, and while their main genre is indie pop, they also incorporate elements of jazz and psychedelia into their work. Their band members consist of lead vocalist María Zardoya, guitarist Jesse Perlman, drummer and producer Josh Conway, and pianist Edward James. That being said, let’s get to the album.

   We start the record off with the track, “Ride,” which is just sort of a brief intro, I like the heavily distorted, fuzzy, electronic sound of the track, as well as the robotic filter on Zardoya’s voice. It’s not really too complicated, but it serves as a nice opener to the album. “Hamptons,” has a lot going on instrumentally, with those plinking pianos, dreamy synth chords, and dancehall drums. It also has a very melancholy vibe to it, and the picturesque lyrics have an impact on the listener. “Comes a time when silence, melts away into the tides. Wasn’t aiming for your eyes.” The instrumental break, with the guitar incorporated in, is lovely as well. It’s a track that illustrates a hopeless romance that was doomed from the beginning.

   “Echo,” dives into themes of loneliness and the end of a relationship. I like the dreamy production on the track, with the variety of synths and low-key guitar riffs. It sounds a lot more upbeat instrumentally, but the lyrics are incredibly depressing. I like that dichotomy a lot, and Zardoya’s vocals have an emotional and bleak sound to them. Another favorite. “Run Your Mouth,” has an uptempo drum rhythm that sounds like something on a Dua Lipa record, but that’s a good thing, because the band pulls it off well. I love that groovy bass riff, as well as the catchy guitar riffs featured on the track. I think what Maria Zardoya shared on X explains the backstory of the song better than I could. “Run Your Mouth’ was one of the first songs Josh and I wrote on submarine. I was conflicted and avoidant at the time, and whenever someone wanted to talk about something serious, I’d run and hide. I learned that it was a protective mechanism and that my nervous system didn’t have the capacity to open up.” Basically, she wrote this song when she was in a headspace where she didn’t want to talk to other people. It’s a favorite.

   “Real Life,” has calming synth patterns and a well-structured bass rhythm. It’s a very simple love song, but that’s okay, because the instrumentation is atmospheric, and Zardoya’s voice sounds angelic over the glossy production. I love the reverb-soaked guitar solo, and it, as well as the rest of the instruments give it a sound as if you’re underwater in a tropical paradise. There’s something calming, but also something kinda sad about it too, where Maria is questioning whether or not something is real. It’s a fantastic track, and another favorite of mine. The next track, “Blur,” has a laidback drum beat, minimalist guitar chords, smooth echoey synths, and even features some trumpet. It’s a very lo-fi sounding track, and I like the depressing lyrics that cover a one-sided romance. One of my favorite lines in the song is “The moon sits so pretty here. Inside the mess that I guess I built. If I say I’m not eloquent. It’s only ‘cause I choose to forget.” The pre-chorus after the second verse adds a more aggressive sound, before doing a complete 180 again, with the chorus coming back to calm. This might be my favorite track out of all the tracks on this record. “Paranoia,” is drenched with dreamy sounding guitars, and might be one of the most beautiful sounding tracks on the record. I like the topic of the song as well, which is about relationship paranoia. Those who suffer from it are fearful that they’re being cheated on or lied to. The lyrics illustrate the topic very well, as Zardoya is singing from the perspective of someone in a relationship with someone who suffers from it. The guitar solo from Jesse Perlman is phenomenal and it makes my soul ascend.

    “Lejos de Ti,” is the first track on the record sung in Spanish, and even though I don’t speak Spanish, I found a translation, thankfully. “Lejos de Ti,” means “Far From You.” She’s singing about a long distance relationship, and is asking her lover if he will remember her. It’s a nice concept, and while not exactly new, the orchestration is breathtaking and makes for an incredibly fascinating listen. “Love You Anyway,” incorporates layered vocal harmonies, and they are absolutely lovely to listen to. I like the relatable sentiment of not being able to tell someone you love how you truly feel. “Ay No Puedo,” another Spanish sung track which translates to “Oh I Can’t, features Zardoya singing about her mental health and letting go of a relationship that is unhealthy for her. I love the whirly echoey production, and salsa sounding drums, as well as the exotic sound of the guitars. “No One Noticed,” is another track that discusses loneliness, and the fear of being alone. It’s a very gloomy sounding song, with those mournful guitars and ethereal synths. She wants to be held, and reassured by someone, and doesn’t want to be alone with her own pain. This song conveys how a lot people probably felt during the COVID lockdowns. It’s hard to be alone with our own thoughts and emotions. “Vicious Sensitive Robot,” is a walking contradiction, as we associate “vicious,” and “sensitive,” with emotions related to pain and hurt feelings, while “robot,” is associated with a lack of feeling or compassion. I like how open to interpretation so many of these tracks are, as well as their relatability. “If Only,” is a sorrowful piano ballad which is pretty simple, but that trumpet solo after the second verse is a very nice addition. It’s probably the saddest sounding track on the record, and even though the verses are short, lines such as, “Don’t give up on me. You’ll eventually. Then I’ll only see you in my dreams,” is an incredibly heartbreaking passage.

    Finally, we have the track, “Sienna,” which almost sounds like a Lana Del Rey track, is a track where Zardoya sings about how her future baby will resemble her and her partner, but as the song goes on, the idea seems like it becomes like less of a reality and more like a dream that never came true. The outro is beautifully written, “And I smile when I think of all the times we had. At the beach in the winter. When the waves were mad. Down by the water, crystal clear. See her face in the forest. Then it disappears.” A great end to a truly wonderful album.

   I don’t know how I went this long without having heard music from The Marías. The vocals are gorgeous, the musical composition is well orchestrated, with echoey guitars, glassy synths, and a variety of different genres incorporated on the record. It’s a breakup album, but it’s an incredibly well done one, that delves into complicated but common themes such as mental health, loneliness, nostalgia for the past, and relationship paranoia. María Zardoya is a fantastic singer, and the production serves as a great backdrop to her incredibly depressing lyrics. This album is truly an experience, and truly conveys what it feels like to be depressed, lonely, and heartbroken. This album really resonated and stuck with me, and it’s definitely one of my favorite albums of the year so far.

Overall Score: 9/10

Favorite Tracks: “Echo,” “Run Your Mouth,” “Real Life,” “Blur,” “Paranoia,” “No One Noticed.”

Least Favorite Tracks: None

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM3y8icvEnw

Genres: Dream Pop/Indie Pop