Paola Navarrete’s second album signals a bold but ultimately rewarding change of musical direction.

“Ficcion,” the debut album from the Quito-based singer-songwriter, was among our favorite albums of 2015. Three years later, following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Paola Navarrete finally revealed her sophomore full-length.

“Verde Fugaz” sounds radically different from its predecessor. Gone are the reeds, the strings and the predominantly acoustic sound. Instead, Navarrete embraces synths and boldly ventures into a new musical territory.

What remains, however, is her unique voice and the exquisite songwriting. Navarrete knows how to create compelling melodies and lush sonic textures, delivering an album that keeps on giving, from the beginning to the end.

“Verde Fugaz” is also more varied in terms of its dynamic. The album starts and finishes with a bang, while exhibiting more laid-back, dreamy soundscapes in-between. It is here that Navarrete really shines, using these moments of tension to build a complex, engrossing whole.

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