Patience by Maral

The celebratory, empowering, noisy, experimental sounds of Patience by Maral reframe Iranian folk music as something living and breathing, highlighting Iran and its people for their resilience amid nonstop economic warfare from the west and dubious leadership from their own government. Sounds from folk samples, progressive club vocals, and noisy digital percussion collide with a variety of songwriting traditions, shifting fluidly from punk to techno to pure digital chaos. Amid this cultural reframing that dictates the central sound of the album, a lyrical narrative plays out in the background, an intensely personal story of old friends turned lovers right as their anxiety peaks and they take that critical step towards a romantic relationship. The album therefore follows through with its promise to paint the complex picture of Iranian culture, constituted by diverse and complex people who nonetheless retain the courage to continue existing amid an environment determined to destroy the futures of themselves and their families.