Maria BC conjures a vivid world with just their electric guitar and precise, sweeping mezzo-soprano vocals. The New York-based songwriter makes ambient dream-pop full of atmosphere, unfolding within ghostly layers of reverb and gently echoing harmonies. Even from deep inside this haze, their music sounds close and visceral, like Cocteau Twins’ melodies repurposed as choral pieces. The title track from their debut EP, Devil’s Rain, lands as softly and naturally as snow at night, building with a patient confidence over four minutes that drift by almost imperceptibly. Maria BC recorded the EP alone in their apartment last year during lockdown, playing quietly so as not to wake their roommates. The solitude seems to come naturally; their music is hushed but the spirit resounds.