A decent sampling of: Downtempo, Soft Rock, Indie Pop, Slowcore, Sophisti-Pop
I must admit I was familiar with the MarĂas, but never really checked out any of their music beyond hearing a song or two once. I think I compartmentalized them in the category of bands like xx and warpaint - vaguely moody and relaxing, but not really my kind of dream pop. Too snoozy.
Anyhow, this is all to say that, in 2026, I really gotta stop letting what I think an artist is gonna sound like put me off of giving them a proper listen. I saw the cover art of this one (goes hard), saw the genre tags, and decided it was up my alley and hence worth checking out. I had no idea that Not for Radio was frontwoman MarĂa Zardoya's solo project.
Goddamn is this one cozy record. Melt is the good kind of sleepy dream pop - one that doesn't put you to sleep because its dull or whatever, but because the timbres are just so tender and rich, and the sonic world it nestles into is so welcoming, like a little cocoon.
MarĂa has such a soothing voice, the kind that can make hairs stand on end and give you chills. But despite the general comfort of her presence and the easy-going, soft rock-leaning melodies, the record also possesses a very isolated and cold sensation at times, lending itself to introspection. Zardoya explained that much of the record was written while staying at a cabin in the woods and going on long nature walks, and yeah I can definitely feel that when I listen to this.
The opener "Puddles" is on the shortlist for my SOTY. A deep plunge into icy black waters that nevertheless feels so warm and pure, just as its depths are mysterious and unknowable yet greatly enticing. That instrumental bridge is orgasmic; just layers of thick viscous submersion. The constant repetition of "puddles and puddles" and that arpeggio, like I'm falling forever, deeper and deeper into a series of never ending pools. Taps into something very instinctual.
The catatonic longing of "Back To You" is one of the tracks that got me in the heart the most this year. As someone who knows what its like to miss someone terribly, I can safely say that goddamn does this song ever seize the very essence of that curse. It's the sound of being awake and alone at 2:00 am, when you really should be in bed, when everything in the world is still, the entire events of the day that has passed becoming mere background noise, as you're revisited by the familiar, intrusive memories of that which is no longer present in your life and probably never will be again. A sad phantom song.
"Vueltas" is a requiem sung in Spanish for a lost and wandering soul, mourning the lover forced to leave. It's as gently moving as it is gently moving (see what I did there?), with its folk guitar and hand drums that pitter patter like little rain drops rolling down a fogged up window.
The penultimate track "Water On Your Nose" stands out for its bright piano motif, peeking through the hazy mist that is typical of the record's sound palate. MarĂa daydreams with bittersweetness for a love she cannot be open with, but the daydream is so pleasant itself that its easy to miss the loneliness in her words.
I do wish the record was a bit longer, and had more tracks that really took it to the same depths as "Puddles" and "Back To You". It feels like she's only scratching the surface of where this very elusive, aqueous sound could go.
That being said, Melt is really great on its own as a record to just lay down in your bed and reflect upon. This has been a late-night favourite of mine this year; a friendly companion that holds me through my melancholy and anxious obsessiveness in a year that felt very tumultuous in an existential kind of way.
Highlights: "Puddles", "Back To You", "Veltas", "Water On Your Nose"
Among My Swan by Mazzy Star
Depression Cherry by Beach House
When A Thought Grows Wings by Luna Li
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