vinylfanatics.com

**Natalia Lafourcade - Musas Vol. 2**
★★★★☆

When Natalia Lafourcade first embarked on her Musas project, few could have predicted the seismic impact it would have on contemporary Latin American music. The Mexican singer-songwriter, who had already established herself as a formidable voice in the nueva canción movement, was about to deliver something even more profound with the second volume of her ambitious tribute series. Musas Vol. 2 doesn't just honour the past – it resurrects it with the kind of reverence typically reserved for sacred texts.

The genesis of this remarkable album traces back to Lafourcade's growing fascination with the forgotten voices of Latin American music, particularly the pioneering women who helped shape the continent's musical DNA. After the critical acclaim that greeted the first Musas volume, Lafourcade found herself diving deeper into dusty archives and family collections, unearthing gems from composers like Violeta Parra, Chabuca Granda, and Chavela Vargas. The project became less about covering songs and more about archaeological excavation, with each track serving as a carefully polished artifact from a bygone era.

Recorded primarily at her home studio in Veracruz, with additional sessions in Los Angeles, the album breathes with an intimate, almost conspiratorial quality. Lafourcade's approach to these classic compositions is neither slavishly faithful nor recklessly revisionist. Instead, she occupies that sweet spot where respect meets imagination, allowing her contemporary sensibilities to dance with traditional arrangements in ways that feel both inevitable and surprising.

The album's musical palette draws heavily from Mexican folk traditions, with generous helpings of nueva trova, bolero, and ranchera influences. Lafourcade's voice, always her most potent instrument, has matured into something even more expressive here – capable of conveying heartbreak in a whisper or joy in a full-throated celebration. The production, helmed by Lafourcade herself alongside longtime collaborator Leonel García, favours organic textures over digital sheen, creating soundscapes that feel like they could have emerged from any decade over the past fifty years.

"Danza de Gardenias," the album's opening statement, immediately establishes the record's intentions. Based on a composition by Agustín Lara, Lafourcade's interpretation strips away decades of accumulated interpretative barnacles to reveal the song's essential beauty. Her voice floats over gentle acoustic guitar and subtle string arrangements, creating an atmosphere of elegant melancholy that permeates much of the album. It's a masterclass in restraint, proving that sometimes the most radical thing you can do is simply get out of the way.

Equally compelling is "La Llorona," perhaps the album's most ambitious undertaking. This traditional Mexican folk song has been covered countless times, but Lafourcade's version feels genuinely revelatory. She builds the arrangement slowly, layer by careful layer, until the song achieves an almost orchestral grandeur without ever losing its essential intimacy. When her voice soars over the final chorus, it's impossible not to feel the weight of all the voices that came before her.

"Soledad y el Mar" showcases another facet of Lafourcade's interpretative gifts. Originally penned by the Chilean composer Violeta Parra, the song becomes a meditation on loneliness and longing in Lafourcade's hands. The arrangement, featuring delicate fingerpicked guitar and subtle percussion, creates space for the lyrics to breathe and resonate. It's the kind of performance that reminds you why certain songs endure across generations.

The album's emotional centrepiece might well be "Tú Sí Sabes Quererme," a bolero that allows Lafourcade to showcase her considerable range as both vocalist and interpreter. The song builds from a whispered confession to something approaching catharsis, with each verse revealing new layers of meaning. It's a reminder that the best cover versions don't just reproduce familiar songs – they reveal hidden chambers within them.

Since its release, Musas Vol. 2 has solidified Lafourcade's position as one of Latin America's most important musical voices. The album's influence can be heard in the work of countless younger artists who have followed her lead in mining their cultural heritage for contemporary inspiration. More importantly, it has helped introduce a new generation to the work of composers who might otherwise have remained forgotten.

In an era when cultural memory feels increasingly fragile, Musas Vol. 2