The Marias by Bethany Vargas
When singer María Zardoya and drummer-producer Josh Conway of The Marías ended their romantic relationship in 2022, things for the whole group could have gone south. The two did start the band while they were dating, after all, later recruiting guitarist Jesse Perlman and keyboardist Edward James along the way. After all the momentum represented by The Marías moving to a major label, touring to great acclaim, and collaborating with trap icon Bad Bunny, a romantic split sounded like trouble.
Yet the Los Angeles foursome has re-emerged sounding stronger than ever. Submarine, their sophomore LP released in late May, followed a months-long hiatus sparked by Zardoya and Conway’s breakup. The group’s dynamic changed, but in the best ways: They learned how to collaborate more fully, with Perlman and James’ more integrated into the creative process. The results are audible on Submarine.
While the cover of their debut album, Cinema, is an intense red, Submarine’s is a calming blue. It took inspiration from “Three Colours: Blue,” a 1993 film with Juliette Binoche as a woman who responds to a catastrophic loss by rejecting the world around her, only to learn that our human bonds tug at us even through personal devastation.
The connectedness that we so crave and need is prominent on Submarine, which explores how grief can produce both isolation and a sense of freedom. The album’s first single, “Run Your Mouth,” sees Zardoya crooning her initial discontent after the breakup, with airy guitars sailing over chill synth melodies and groovy percussion.
A melding of genres like dream pop, jazz and downtempo — and a few Spanish language tracks that stay true to Zardoya’s Puerto Rican roots — makes Submarine a true pleasure to hear. Some of the best music comes from intra-band conflict. If it didn’t, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom never would have existed. It’s time to add Submarine to that list.
The Marías play with special guest Automatic at 8 pm Saturday and Sunday, July 27 and 28, at the Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater. themarias.us ~ Olivia Feldman
