The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Friday, January 24, 2020 — 5
There are no Kinks in The Kinks, no Smiths
in The Smiths, not a stroke in the The Strokes
to be found. Perhaps then, to some surprise,
front woman María of The Marías seems
anything but out of place. María (who leaves off
her surname in press) is the focal point of the
band’s aesthetic, supplying the velvety vocals
to the songs she co-writes, wearing the bob of
black hair recognizable on the album art of all
of their EPs, releasing singles and song-snippets
with clips from Goddard’s “Vivre sa Vie” and
Almodovar’s “Los Amantes Pasajeros.” A Puerto
Rican LA transplant who grew up in Atlanta,
María sings in both English and Spanish in her
songs, the band somewhere along the border
of indie-dream pop and Latinx, though I don’t
see any reason to force a distinction on them —
The Marías are comfortably, necessarily, multi-
faceted.
In the band, María is joined by drummer,
boyfriend and co-writer Josh Conway, as well
as Jesse Perlman on guitar, Edward James on
Keys and Gabe Steiner on Trumpet. Conway
recruited Perlman and James to join on after he
had already approached María about working
together. Steiner also functions as the band’s
touring manager.
The band’s platform has grown steadily since
they released their second EP, Superclean Vol.
II, in the fall of 2018. Their debut single “I
Don’t Know You” recently topped thirty million
hits on Spotify, they played festival shows and
venues across the country for the better part of
last year; they’re the type of band that you’re
indie-attuned friend has already added to a
playlist, the type of band they’ll claim finders-
fee-dibs over if their next album breaks big. All
to say, there’s many sets of eyes and ears waiting
eagerly for what comes next.
Last year, I met up to talk with the band at
their show in Detroit.
***
The Marías’ day-to-day has steadied between
projects. They were on and off the road from
March until August, embarking on a set of three
tours throughout spring and summer. These
were their third, fourth and fifth tours, their
travels taking them through some two-dozen
cities, onto a Coachella stage, altogether playing
in five countries across three continents. The
great irony of an artist’s sophomore project has
nipped at The Marías’ heels too: So busy with the
promotion and maintenance of the work that’s
made their name, any time or inspiration needed
to build toward the next project pinched.
“All our growing pains we felt touring have
already happened,” María said, “it’s been a lot
easier on this tour than previous tours.”
Their final summer tour, a docket of fifteen
domestic shows, was their first with a band bus.
The four Marías were in agreement that having
a known space to come back to every day had
helped them settle into those weeks on the road.
“Since we used to drive, just the stress of
getting to shows in the past was very draining –
leaving on time, sometimes driving eight hours
the day of the show,” James said.
They told me their free time before and after
shows was split equally between streaming
shows and movies and playing badminton
outside on Hotel lawns.
***
When asked “who’s the best badminton
player,” the band (with a shifty-eyed James)
answered unanimously:
Conway: “Derone (the band’s touring bass
player), he’s by far the best, he brought the set.
María: “Then Jesse, probably.”
James: “No way, me! I think I’m definitely
number two.”
Perlman: “I think I’m number two.”
James: “I’m not gonna let this slide, like I —
definitely Derone and I are neck and neck.”
The four of them all talk at once.
María: “I just heard you like to…” She mimes
whipping the badminton birdy back and forth.
James: “No no — yesterday we were hitting
it straight at each other for like thirty-five
minutes.”
María: “Oh, well I missed that.”
James: (to me) “I’m not gonna — that’s the only
thing I’m not gonna let up on.”
They all laugh.
***
From what I saw, they’re a pretty tight-knit
group. It was interesting to see María, Conway,
Perlman
and
James
organize
themselves
for the interview. Immediately Perlman and
James separated themselves from the leading
couple, though, on all questions apart from
those considering writing, Perlman and James
weren’t at all hesitant to jump in. Sometimes
the questions would sort of default back to
María, probably coming from the fact that most
interviews they have are very focused on the
singer.
At some point, when I was asking the band
about their current music tastes, we got into
a
conversation
about
avoiding
repeating
something that’s already been done – essentially
the awareness (and, hopefully, the avoidance)
of writing a song that sounds too similar to
something else. To my ear, The Marías have one
of the most unique sounds right now. Hearing
them voice their fears about being unoriginal
made me think this need for novelty might be
exactly the reason for this style. I wonder if this
also plays a part in their patient approach to
recording and releasing new music.
Early last year, fighting a bout of writer’s
block, María and Conway left the city to get some
fresh air. They spent a few weeks in Joshua Tree
National Park, thinking the change in scenery
would help spur them on.
“We’ve been there many times. Up until that
point we’d recorded everything in our living
room,” María said, “we wanted to just get away
to somewhere peaceful and open – and get
ourselves into a different mindset because we’d
been touring so much last year. We needed to
get away from people and clear our heads. It
definitely did that. It was just fun; it was a good
time.”
***
Both María and Conway were upfront about
the difficulties they found writing while on the
road.
María: “The mindset of … before we went on
tour, the mindset was all about the songwriting,
it was all about the songs. Once we started
touring it became, just, a different journey of
those songs. When we weren’t touring, there was
so much more to draw inspiration from. Like our
heads were in a better, more creative space –”
Conway: “Sort of in the clouds.”
María: “Yeah, and then when touring, it’s
definitely more difficult to find inspiration.
We’re in a bus. We drive to a city. And even
though they’re different cities, we don’t get
to explore as much as people think. It’s pretty
monotonous.”
***
The band has turned down offers from record
labels, deciding to remain independent. Last month,
they released a single under their own Superclean
records.
At first listen, I was disappointed. “Out for the
Night” doesn’t separate itself from the rest of the
band’s discography. The single could be slipped into
either of the Superclean EPs, without much effect,
which makes sense when you learn that it’s not a
new song at all. “Out for the Night” was the first song
María and Conway ever wrote together. They didn’t
think they were ever going to release a studio version,
so they decided to share the rough cut they’d already
had done.
Regardless of the confusion “Out for the Night”
supplied, I can’t help but feel weary about the The
Marías’ next steps. The band hasn’t released any of
post-Vol. II music since, well, Superclean Vol. II, in
September of 2018. I hope the time off toward the end
of 2019 has given them a chance to return to their lives,
to their inspirations, and has given them a chance to
bring it to our ears into a satisfying new light.
MUSIC INTERVIEW
The Michigan Theater debuted Makoto Shinkai’s
“Weathering With You” last Thursday. The director’s
name alone made the screening an event.
The Theater’s main auditorium seats over a
thousand, and by 8 p.m., when the showing was set
to begin, there were hardly any seats left. It was the
most packed I’ve seen the theater for anything that
wasn’t “The Room.” My co-reviewer and I shoved
ourselves up against the balcony railing. There was
nervous chatter throughout the theater as anticipation
grew, one that was well-warranted. “Weathering”
is Shinkai’s follow-up feature to his 2016 record-
breaking “Your Name,” which beat “Spirited Away” to
become the highest grossing anime film and Japanese
film of all time. I’d venture to guess that everyone in
the auditorium had seen it.
Since before I started going to school here three
years ago, the Michigan Theater’s featured themed
months based around famous directors, movements
or time periods. They’ve also had quite a few anime
nights. Their recent series, titled “Icons in Anime,”
will show international anime staples like “My
Neighbor Totoro,” “Ghost in the Shell,” “Akira” and
the aforementioned “Your Name” spread out through
the entire semester.
The theater’s host made a point of mentioning all
of this before the start of “Weathering” on Thursday,
which, while an understandable move, struck me
as being a bit funny. “Your Name” is the highest
grossing anime film of all time, and it felt as though,
by screening its follow-up “Weathering” to a crowd
of 1,400+ anime fans eager for its first Ann Arbor area
screening, they were pushing their anime slate in the
hopes that the crowd will adopt a new tradition of
Michigan-Theater-Anime-Showings on Thursday
nights. But it’s not like they were advertising their
slate of anime debuts in the upcoming semester. It
seems like anyone in the audience who wants to has
probably already seen “Spirited Away.”
A hush fell over the crowd when the opening
credits began. A short burst of applause broke out at
the title. One hundred and eleven minutes later, a hush
fell over the crowd when the title came back on to end
the movie. A pause. Waiting for something more. Then
something of a patronizing rumble of cheers from
around the auditorium. With “Weathering,” Shinkai
isn’t going to break the record for highest-grossing
anime film again.
Unfortunately, “Weathering With You” fails, in
almost every measurable (and immeasurable) way, to
live up to the astronomically high expectations set by
the success of “Your Name.” Its plot structure is less
elegant, with a tepid love story, irrational characters
and forgettable ending. Its supernatural elements are
strangely institutionalized and unimaginative. Its
politics on climate change and rising sea levels are
subdued but problematic. Its animation is lacking. Its
one saving grace is its humor, but even that might not
be enough.
It’s hard not to see the film as riding the coattails of
the massive success of “Your Name.” Both of the main
characters from “Your Name” show up in little cameos
at different points in the movie. Moments before I even
knew who had just appeared on the screen, sections of
the auditorium were bordering on hysterics. We won’t
see that type of love for “Weathering”s protagonists
if they ever make their way back up onto the silver
screen.
— Stephen Satarino, Daily Arts Writer
Regardless of one’s opinion on the quality of “Your
Name,” its meteoric rise to the top of the box office and
the unstoppable phenomenon it has become, both in
Japan and abroad, is undeniable. Teenagers flocked
to the multiplexes to see it once and then see it two,
three or even four more times. Comparisons to Studio
Ghibli maestro Hayao Miyazaki were inescapably
abound for director Makoto Shinkai. My friend saw
it with his parents, who had no idea what an anime
was, and they all loved it. Though I missed the boat to
see it in theaters, after watching it on a sleepy winter
night with my girlfriend, sharing laughter and tears, I
immediately understood the hype.
So, scrolling through my social media feeds one day
sometime last year and seeing a trailer for the new
movie “from ‘Your Name’ director Makoto Shinkai,”
I was sold. I didn’t even need to know what it was
about; the trailer’s lovely visuals were the only pitch
I needed. On Facebook I responded “Going” to the
Michigan Theater’s special one-night only screening
of “Weathering.” The months passed and the seasons
changed. Suddenly I found myself hurrying down the
stairs from the balcony seating to grab some napkins
(the Dr. Pepper Stephen bought me exploded upon
opening) as to not miss the start of the movie.
Whereas “Your Name” told a fantastical body-
swapping tale in the guise of a love story, “Weathering
with You” is a love story hiding under its fantasy
drapery. It’s more direct in intertwining the lives of
its two leads: Hodaka is a high school-aged runaway
who’s come to Tokyo to make a new life for himself,
and Hina is a teenage girl struggling to provide for
herself and her kid brother after their mom’s passing.
Tokyo is swamped with unseasonable summer rains
when Hodaka arrives, so strange and lasting that its
citizens find comfort in myths and legends to explain
this freak weather.
The film quickly brings those legends to the
forefront as we learn Hina is a sort of “weather
maiden,” a girl who is able to briefly control the
weather through her prayers to the heavens. Just as
Hodaka begins to find stable footing thanks to the
kindness of a man who runs a small pulp publishing
company with his niece, his life becomes intertwined
with Hina’s by chance. After learning of her secret
miracles Hodaka convinces Hina to start a business
clearing the rainy weather for people on special events
with him and her brother Nagi.
From there the film wanders into a story as tragically
downcast as rain itself, but like Hina’s power, it still
allows for pockets of sunshine and rainbows, humor
and levity. In these moments “Weathering with You”
shines. The film knows exactly how long to sustain a
joke without it becoming stale, and recurring bits like
Nagi’s exploits as an elementary school Casanova or
Hodaka’s reliance on Yahoo Answers for help with
his most pressing questions never failed to make the
theater laugh.
But the theater was laughing too much, as the
greatest flaw of “Weathering with You” is its failure to
let the audience sit with its most solemn moments. The
romance is engaging and had me rooting for Hodaka
all the way through, but it peters out in the most
contrived (and, with the questionable stance it meekly
takes on climate change, confusing) fashion possible,
so much so I had to look up the specifics of the ending
again while writing this because I thought I had
forgotten something beyond “guy finally ends up with
girl.” I didn’t. The film just ends. It introduces these
heart-rending backstories and arcs for its characters,
but never seems concerned with delivering on them.
We don’t learn the circumstances of Hodaka’s home
life that drove him to run away in the first place, and
the death of Hina’s mother seems more like a scripted
afterthought than a defining moment of grief. Though
“Weathering” could have suffered by directly fleshing
out these points of the narrative if executed poorly, the
best movies are like mystifying pools of water, with
stories that expertly glide over the surface. They give
the audience glimpses of what emotional intensity lies
below but never outright plunge underneath.
The rains of “Weathering with You” leave behind
tons of these tiny, shimmering (and delightfully
animated) pools. They’re alluring at first, with an
intriguing depth unknown to the audience, but at the
end of the day, they’re just puddles. The movie walks
straight through them without even making a splash.
Perhaps the saddest thing about “Weathering” is
how strangely relatable it ended up being, not only in
how the main character (uncannily like me) sort of
finds a career in writing after leaving his (assumedly
shitty) family behind, but with how the film plays out.
It puts such lofty expectations on itself, under the
weight of which it can’t help but struggle. “Weathering
with You” tries to soar over “Your Name” yet fears
even the slightest tiptoe outside of its shadow. I’ve
been there, wanting to one-up the popular kid at
school by becoming the class clown, but attracting
attention that is ultimately shallow and at the cost of
shoving down my emotions. “Weathering with You”
could be and at times almost is a gorgeous film in its
own right, but its beauty is diminished because it can’t
stop trying (and failing) to one-up its predecessor.
The worst part is that we see all this unfold in real
time, and we can’t stop the movie from imploding
on itself in pursuit of this conceited dream. “Your
Name” was a brilliant spark that lit a towering flame.
“Weathering with You” doesn’t understand why you
can’t build a fire in the pouring rain.
— Cassandra Mansuetti, Daily Digital Culture Editor
Two takes on the second-rate ‘Weathering With You’
FILM REVIEW
STEPHEN SATARINO
Daily Arts Writer
CASSANDRA MANSUETTI
Digital Culture Editor
TOHO
In The Marías, careful composition meets new age
The Marías are comfortably,
necessarily, multifaceted
To me, the Marías have one
of the most unique sounds
right now. Hearing them
vocalize their reticence to
sound overdone made me
think this need for novelty
might be exactly the reason
for this style
AUDIAM
STEPHEN SATARINO
Daily Arts Writer