Review Summary: Lounge music for the broken-hearted.
I find it very interesting that the term “one-trick pony” is often thrown around as an insult, as if a lack of diverse skills or talents is automatically a bad thing. However, there’s something to be said for an artist that does one thing very,
very well—lack of artistic variety be damned. Not For Radio (the moniker of The Marias lead singer Maria Zardoya) is an artist I would describe as a one-trick pony. Her debut solo album,
Melt, is not one with much variety. Every song on the album can be described as lush, dreamy, slow-tempo, and piano-driven. The lyrical content of these songs can also be described as one-note; Zardoya explores themes of romance, heartbreak, and longing on every track. Based on what I’ve described thus far, it would’ve been very easy for this album to wind up being a boring, repetitive slog. Thankfully, Zardoya’s talents are put to excellent use, and with a combination of poetic lyrics, soft vocals brimming with emotion, and beautiful piano melodies,
Melt is a debut that proves being a one-trick pony can sometimes be more than enough.
Zardoya pours her heart and soul out over the course of
Melt’s ten songs. Although the lyrical themes never deviate from the central theme of romance, they at least approach the theme from differing angles and perspectives enough to keep the listener from getting bored with what they’re hearing. For example,
My Turn is written from the perspective of a partner who’s reeling from the guilt of having done something to significantly hurt their loved one, while
Back To You is about the feelings of longing for a lost partner while simultaneously accepting the reality that the relationship is gone for good. Although this subject matter is far from unique, Zardoya’s expressive and imaginative lyrics help to elevate the songs and give them a more mature, adult feel. These lyrics don’t feel as if they were pulled from the diary of a teenager; they instead feel as though you’re listening to the candid, inner thoughts of a heartbroken romantic.
Through the trees, I forget
That we've not even met
But I wanna pretend
That you're living with me
And through the lеaves, I'll love you
In the dеad of the night
I can carry your light inside of me
The instrumentals may be less-than-exciting, but they do more than enough to compliment Zardoya’s vocal performance and contribute to
Melt’s overall melancholic feel. Most of the songs feature relatively simple, yet gorgeous piano melodies backed by soft percussion. There are occasional moments where swelling string arrangements can be heard, but those come few and far between. The only song to really shake things up in any meaningful way is
Vueltas, which is the only track that’s sung entirely in Spanish, and also the only song to set aside the piano in favor of an acoustic guitar. The song wears its Latin influences on its sleeve, and is one of the album’s highlights because of it.
There are, unfortunately, a few things that hold back
Melt from being considered a masterpiece. Despite how much I’ve complimented Zardoya’s songwriting thus far, there are a few times on the album where her lyrics fall flat, particularly in her choruses.
Back To You and
Swan are two songs that are just as atmospheric and pleasing to listen to as any of the others, but they’re both held back by their incredibly repetitive choruses. For an album like this, I’m not expecting anything bombastic or catchy, but it’s still a bit disappointing to see choruses such as these that just endlessly repeat the same phrase or two. Also, since this album is (by my own admission) very one-note, it’s not one that I can see every listener enjoying to an equal degree.
I’m incredibly happy that I decided to give
Melt a shot, and I would advise anyone else to do the same if my description of the album’s overall feeling appeals to you. Maria Zardoya has shown herself to be an amazing lyricist, as well as a gifted composer. As invigorating of an experience as
Melt is, I do still think it would be beneficial for her to branch out ever-so-slightly with her future releases. If she were to keep releasing albums in this same style and with the same lyrical themes, I worry the returns would diminish with time. But for now, Not For Radio is, without a doubt, one of the best one-trick pony artists to debut in 2025.
4.25 out of 5
