The title of Maria Usbeck’s forthcoming sophomore LP, Envejeciendo, is the word for “aging” in her native Spanish, and so far both singles have directly embodied the anxiety of growing older, whether by reminiscing on the past or feeling young by comparison. Her third single more directly explores the process of aging, specifically the new health roadblocks and inevitable questions of mortality that arise along the way.
“Obscuro Obituario” matches the warm electronic outsider pop of previous singles, with Caroline Polachek’s involvement clearly felt in its production. The soothing, dreamy Spanish vocals do little to match the song’s anxieties, which provide an element of dysphoria to the ASMR-pop tune. “I’ve always wondered if the fear of death increases as you get older and as you start discovering illnesses,” Usbeck notes. “‘Obscuro’ touches upon this fear and the idea of someone watching over you from the afterlife.”
Envejeciendo is out August 16 on Cascine. You can pre-order it here.
