Maria Usbeck – “Ciudad Desnuda”

The term indie pop has the ability these days to conjure so many sounds and ideas that it’s become something akin to a single word repeated over and over to the point where it completely loses it’s meaning. However, for those of us that still cling to the origins of indiepop (where it is always represented as a single word) we know the real thing when we hear it – despite the fact that true indiepop has always celebrated its position as being gleefully disposable – hearing the real thing these days carries with it a great deal of meaning. On her debut solo album, Amparo, Maria Usbeck has made a perfect modern indiepop record that floats effortlessly through the ether, but is anything but disposable. We’re simply thrilled to offer you an exclusive stream of “Ciudad Desnuda.”

After five years of writing and recording in English with her band Selebrities, and an extensive period of travel that found her returning to her Ecuadorian roots (amongst many other places), Usbeck became compelled to compose a record entirely in her native Spanish. When she presented the electronic origins of these songs to her friend Caroline Polachek (Chairlift), Polachek insisted on working with Usbeck to produce more expansive versions of the initial arrangements that would incorporate a myriad of live and acoustic elements. The resulting record feels like taking a languid, yet breezy hike across an “Isla Magica” (to quote the record’s opening track) that you’ll likely wish to continue on forever.

Amparo will be released on May 27 in North America via Cascine, and in Europe via the Swedish indiepop legend Labrador.