Review Summary: “Hyaline”: adjective; having a glassy, translucent appearance
Throwing up a dictionary definition as the review summary feels like a bold move, but I think it’s worthwhile in this case. For one thing, as someone who considers himself to have a strong vocabulary, I’d never even heard the word which entitles this album before,so maybe I’m in good company there. For another, it turns out that the word’s meaning proves pretty apt for the music I’m writing about.
Hyaline feels elusive, it invites you in with its shimmering beauty, it pulls back, it’s there and it’s gone.
Maria BC might not be a household name, but
Hyaline isn’t quite their first rodeo. Instead, that would be 2021’s EP
Devil’s Rain, a first glimpse which emerged from the pandemic and hinted at great promise.
Hyaline satisfies as the follow-up, seeing Maria BC successfully adjust to a full-length format and a more cohesive style. Ambient pop/folk is the order of the day here, with artists like Grouper and Sea Oleena likely to be mentioned as obvious touchstones. Throw in some Gothic elements (reminiscent of Emma Ruth Rundle or Darkher’s lighter moments) and a pinch of Red House Painters-style slowcore, and there you have it. Ultimately, though, what’s most impressive about
Hyaline is that the record is successful in transmitting a very distinctive mood, uneasily sandwiched between tranquil and ominous, which manages to set the release apart from the mentioned artists.
Opener “No Reason” is brief but lovely. Featuring angelic vocals over a vaguely menacing backdrop, it lays the groundwork for the stylings Maria BC plays with throughout the album. The songs are usually gentle and light, built upon mellow folk tunes, but threaded through field recordings or subtly aggressive arrangements which add an air of mystery to the proceedings. “ROF”, for example, begins with openly abrasive industrial clanking, but ends in celestial hymn-like beauty. More often than not, though, the songs are both sparse and noisy at the same time. It’s an interesting dynamic which makes repeat listening rewarding while also making the album a hard nut to crack.
The strongest takeaway from listening to
Hyaline is that Maria BC could make an excellent conventional dream pop album, as all the necessary elements are present here in fits and starts: gorgeous vocals, a sense for melody, and that blissful “underwater” sensation which is frequently present on the genre’s top-tier releases. It’s obvious, though, that the artist has deliberately decided to aim for something more adventurous here. While it’s always easy to question the road not taken (and indeed, I suspect some will long for a more straightforward approach), as it is
Hyaline is a confident and compelling debut full-length which successfully stages a delicate balancing act by shrouding its moments of sheer sonic beauty within clouds of ambience and echoes of murky noise. Although the lyrics on this record frequently seem to channel a longing for the past, if this record is any indication the future for Maria BC looks bright.
