YouTube sensation Marie Digby’s sophomore CD, “Breathing Underwater,” sees the singer trade the acoustic guitar-voice set up of its predecessor for a multi-layered sound.   

Released under MCA Music, its producers imbue the 13-track album with a “warm” sound akin to that which producer Tim Rothrock (James Blunt, Beck, Foo Fighters) gave Digby’s 2008 release, “Unfold.”

Album opener “Daybreak,” which picks up the tempo at the choruses, is moody compared to previous Digby songs. In her words, “Daybreak” is about “not wanting a night to end, because you don’t know what daylight will bring.” 

The next track, “Avalanche,” features a sparse piano accompaniment against Digby’s up tempo stanza singing. The song builds up to a nice release in the chorus with Digby singing, “If you only knew what my heart/ goes through for you/I'm trying to break through/don't you think it’s worth a chance/let's leave the past/Is that too much to ask?/and where do we stand/can we pull through this avalanche?”

“Avalanche” is about a breakup and there’s uncertainty in the singer’s pleading. The music is urgent and right on. 

The title track and “Shoulda Been Simple” are in the mode of her YouTube smash, “Say It Again.” Here we hear acoustic guitars playing tasty arpeggiated chords, a smart melody and an even catchier chorus which, for Marie, is a winning combo. 

Producer Brian Kennedy employs strings and drumbeats in both songs. He also layered the singer’s voice to great effect; creating a wall of Marie’s voice to lean the instrumental arrangements on.

However, Kennedy’s biggest moment in “Breathing Underwater” is on the next track, “Come Find Me,” that casts Digby in a new and flattering light. 

The other producers keep to the credo of introducing a new color to Digby’s palette. Warren Felder and Andrew Wansel give “Know You By Heart” a different turn. It is big on beats and heavy on the synth---one that is more at home at clubs than the intimate acoustic dives that the singer is associated with.

Digby has an explanation. “I‘ve always loved dance music (and) this was my chance to unleash my inner Kylie Minogue,” said she in a press statement.

Despite its plus points, there are a few tracks here in which Marie’s direction, sound-wise, veers from its true north.

In “Overboard” (Digby’s duet with pop R&B singer Livvi Frank), the chunky, heavily distorted guitar works that open and punctuate it just get in the way of an otherwise good pop/R&B excursion for Marie. Another downer is the vacuous sounding track, “Machine,” which does nothing to enhance Digby’s music.

Fortunately, “Breathing Underwater” finishes with a flourish via the head-bobbing, straight pop tune, “Crazier Things.”

Overall, Digby’s risk-taking with the album is admirable. Indeed, she was able to freely express herself in the music most of the times.

That’s good. Because otherwise, and as she herself puts it, “what a boring place this world would be if we all stayed still!”