The Marías’ CINEMA

The confluence of algorithms, high-quality music software and online distribution platforms has led to a profound democratization in music making over the last decade. Operating within the four walls of their home, a new type of artist has emerged, untethered by genre or convention, to birth the DIY musical movement known colloquially as bedroom pop. The Marías’ debut album, CINEMA, exists within this continuum; the electro-psychedelic lovechild of group namesake María Zardoya and Josh Conway, produced in their Hollywood Hills domicile. Over the course of its 13 tracks, the former’s sultry vocals grace a myriad of dreamlike tones, verging from the forceful, yet pillowy synths of “Calling You Back” to the swaggering bob of “Hush” to the shimmering Latin lounge of “Little by Little.” CINEMA’s second half strikes a decidedly more ethereal tone, exemplified on tracks like the standout “Fog as a Bullet” and “The Mice Inside This Room,” the latter of which simmers with an ethereal energy reminiscent of Radiohead’s more recent work before concluding in a stunning symphony of strings. In totality, CINEMA is an expansive, yet intimate work that vividly realizes the artistic vision The Marías hinted at on their first two Superclean EPs.

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