ALISO – MALENA ZAVALA
The disgustingly humid weather of New Orleans may not show it, but the return to school has always marked the end of my summer. After filling out the subject lines of my agenda, tucking my empty notebooks into my backpack, and picking out the perfect outfit, I would fall asleep knowing that I would wake up to the start of a new season. Having graduated in May, I feel a bit sentimental seeing that shift around me rather than being a part of it. The soundtrack of my post-graduate reflection has been Malena Zavala’s debut album, Aliso (2018).
Through a mist of swirling guitars, dripping basslines, and soft percussive rhythms, Aliso delivers contemplative bedroom pop. The hazy synths and guitar tones are an homage to her influences: Beach House, Brian Eno, and Tame Impala. She also cites Cuban folk musician Silvio Rodríguez as an influence, which is less evident in this album’s sound, but I find Zavala’s mention of him worth noting.
I admire DIY artists, which the genre of bedroom pop somewhat implies, but learning about Zavala in particular piqued my interest. She is a self-taught musician who wrote, played, recorded, and produced this album herself in her parents’ garage (which begs the question of whether this album is technically garage pop, but I digress). Even eight years after her debut, she has an Instagram story collection dedicated to her production and recording footage, which I love to see, having learned about recording and production myself.
My current favorite song on Aliso is “Should I Try”. The beginning guitar loop gently circles the lead guitar, working together to create a pensive mood before the lyrics even begin. Once they do, Zavala speculates on what the future holds for her. The choruses hit me especially hard as a post-grad or really anyone trying to find themselves amid uncertainty:
“You always said that I would go on,
To do the things that I want
But in the end if I don’t become,
I don’t know if I’d live on
And if they don’t see what I can see
Is there any point to believe
The words you said to me would be right
I guess I’ll just have to try,”
Along with being extremely relatable, these lyrics seem to contextualize her debut as an introspective artist. As for their delivery, she self-describes her vocals as haunting and hypnotic, which I half agree with. Meditative captures the feeling more than hypnotic in my mind because even though both are trance-inducing, one provides space for wandering thoughts.
Semantics aside, I find this album wonderful and consider myself lucky to have happened upon it in a local record store. She has released more music since Aliso: La Yarará (2020) maintains vocal dreaminess, but with the intention of getting people up and dancing; the songs are punchier, and her latest album, If This Life Could Start Again (2026), returns to the soothing soundscapes that made me fall in love with her debut.
If you are finding yourself and want a musical companion for the process, look no further than Aliso.