The Marías are a worldwide phenomenon, so much so that the ‘indie’ label hardly applies to them anymore: they were recently nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys, for goodness sake, and there’s no way their momentum slows down anytime soon. A solo project from any of the band’s members would always have garnered attention, but less so than a full-blown new record from the group— perhaps that’s why ‘plum,’ the new solo outing from josh conway, feels content to be so stripped-back and soothing. The percussionist’s debut project has atmosphere down to a tee.

‘plum’ is hardly the sound of an artist breaking out of his mould: conway may be using this opportunity to toy with some fresh ideas, but he certainly hasn’t pivoted too far away from the silky indie rock of The Marías. If you can nail down any aspect of these nine tracks, it’s their extreme dedication to texture and warmth that underpins them, like a gentle current that keeps us flowing from one song to the next. ‘focus’ is a particularly laid-back example, building itself a serene atmosphere from memorable bass lines, watery synths and endearing chimes that, in their combination, will have you as relaxed and self-satisfied as conway is on the album cover— not every number here is quite so minimalist as that, but the fact remains that ‘plum’ is soothing, in every sense of the word. The nostalgic pianos on ‘everywhere’ and the thuddy drum sounds of ‘when i need it’ are just some of the choices contributing to this, one of the dreamiest records of the year: conway himself even proves to be a passable vocalist, just to seal the deal.

Oftentimes, the presentation these songs are wrapped up in is more striking (and interesting) than the songs themselves, not that ‘plum’ is a record crying out for progressive structures or daring musical escapades— these are tracks you’ll want to sink into, and conway’s done a good job offering up just enough intrigue to get you in the door without distracting from that all-important atmosphere. ‘belly breathing’ is stuffed full of spacey keyboards and distant vocal refrains, but even in amongst the soundscapes, it still manages to carve itself out a catchy chorus: ‘forget him’ pulls off a similar trick, though this track does fall more in line with what you might expect from your modern indie rock. There are few choices that’ll rock a Marías fan’s boat to be found, with single ‘crumble’ standing as the most notable exception. In sharp contrast to the album’s intentionally hazy aesthetic, this song is far more pointed and direct, bringing some rumbling 808s and cheeky dance influences to the table— it does feel a little half-baked, admittedly, but the variety does wonders to perk up your ears.

For the most part, these tracks don’t even feel like fully-formed pieces, but like conduits for relaxation: The Marías may make chilled-out music, but ‘plum’ is on another level of restraint. Opener ‘bully’ is more-or-less an ambient number, slowly building to its dusty guitar solo with an enviable amount of patience— conway is always at his best when his production is front and centre, letting the record wash over you. It’s easy to see how his songwriting doesn’t quite stack up when we take a look at ‘breathless,’ a track with a more prominent vocal emphasis: it’s a cute addition to the album, but hardly anything to write home about. ‘plum’ only ever needed to be endearing, and that it is— just don’t go into it expecting too many standout moments or intricate formed songs, because that’s just not where conway’s heart lies.

As you can probably tell, ‘plum’ is an incredibly singular experience. If you’re looking to lose yourself in some delicate moods, backed by some strong indie rock fundamentals, then conway’s first solo outing should be right up your alley— if that won’t be enough to hold your attention, then ‘plum’ doesn’t have any more tricks up its sleeve. This is a solid record, if a little unadventurous: it’ll probably hold us over until the next album from The Marías, at the very least.