The Ecuadorian-born, Brooklyn-based dream-popper Maria Usbeck has been relatively quiet since the release of her 2019 album Envejeciendo. Last year, though, Usbeck shared "Hollow," her first new song in six years. Today, she announces plans to release a new album called Naturaleza -- Spanish for Nature -- this spring.
Maria Usbeck co-produced Naturaleza with past collaborator Tyler Drosdeck. "Hollow" won't appear on the LP, but Usbeck's new single "Mantarraya" will. It's a slinky, bubbly pop song driven by acoustic guitars and sweepingly pretty electronics. The song title is Spanish for "Stingray." Usbeck co-directed the song's video with Jennifer Medina, and it's got Usbeck dressed as a stingray, wandering around New York and trying to convince people to save the ocean.
In a press release, Usbeck says, "Humanity stands at a breaking point; we've lost our bond with the natural world. We deem ourselves superior, advanced, yet it’s only through harmony and a symbiotic relationship with nature that we can avert an inevitable doom." Below, check out the "Mantarraya" video and the Naturaleza tracklist.
TRACKLIST:
01 "Floating"
02 "Mar"
03 "Chao Sirena"
04 "Pink Lake
05 "Garza Azul"
06 "Mantarraya"
07 "Current"
08 "Hallucinations"
09 "Iguana"
10 "Let Go"
Naturaleza is out 4/11 on Cascine.
