For months, one album has sat pre-saved on my Spotify.
The moment that I saw Laufey announce her third album, I knew I had to be there the second that it released. To my shock, I saw I would have to wait almost an entire summer to listen, but still, the countdown to release was constantly at the back of my mind.
Finally releasing on August 22, with its breathtakingly clear vocals and beautiful instrumentals, Laufey’s newest work “A Matter of Time” immediately found its way onto my list of all-time favorite albums.
Laufey has continuously stunned me throughout her music career. From her first album, “Everything I know about Love,” to her wildly popular, award-winning sophomore album “Bewitched,” Laufey has continuously made music unique and true to herself.
In an era of artists pushing to for a place on the billboards and fighting to keep up with trends, Laufey’s music is 100% her own.
Inspired by voices like Chet Baker and Carole King, Laufey spans genres like jazz bossa-nova and pop, or combine them all into one. That didn’t change with the release of her newest album.
Since I first became a fan, I’ve been obsessed with the light, fairytale vibe that Laufey brings to music. Even her album covers always stun, “A Matter of Time” included. The graceful outfit and posing of Laufey in front of an old-fashioned clock face give you an idea of the album’s sound right away.
“A Matter of Time” kept her usual jazz-inspired feel, with some songs straight out of a fairytale and some out of an old smoky jazz lounge, but she also broke into sounds brand new to her.
In an interview with Rolling Stones, Laufey said while creating “A Matter of Time” she “wanted to experiment with new techniques and new sounds, to see how far [she] could push [herself].”
The effort to make new sounds in the album is incredibly clear, with songs introducing unfamiliar styles, showing a completely new side of Laufey.
Tracks like “Clean Air,” which carries aspects of bluegrass and folk music, and “Cuckoo Ballet – Interlude,” a fully instrumental track reminiscent of shows like “The Nutcracker,” give a clear display of how versatile Laufey really is.
Out of the 14 tracks on the album, “Too Little, Too Late” stood out the most to me, and has cemented its place as my favorite on the album. The song tells the story of a past relationship from a man’s perspective. Laufey said in a Rolling Stones interview that the song was originally a practice of understanding character, since most of her songs are about her personal experiences.
The composition of the song is absolutely stunning, with soft mournful piano building up throughout the song and swelling into a mix of strings, drums, and a choir’s hum in the background.
The entire track feels like you are running towards something just out of reach, with the sound building up and up before coming back down without any flare or crash, almost leaving you with a sense of loss.
Another song you absolutely can’t skip is “Forget-Me-Not,” a love letter to Laufey’s home country of Iceland. The lyrics talk about the singer’s sacrifice of leaving her home country to pursue her dreams of music, speaking directly to the country and asking it not to forget her, even though she has to leave. One of the things that enchanted me on first listen was the Icelandic lyrics, making her message of love to her country feel so sincere.
The song literally stopped me in my tracks. Instruments like the harp and flute, along with Laufey’s siren-like vocals leave the image of a fairytale in your mind. “Forget-Me-Not” truly shows the strengths of Laufey’s captivating voice and never fails to give me chills.
In strong contrast to the ballads on the album, “Lover Girl” is a much bouncier song, returning to the bossa-nova inspired sound that’s made Laufey so well known.
One of the four songs released as singles before the full album came out, I knew as soon as I heard “Lover Girl” it was going to be a favorite of mine.
In the song, Laufey pokes fun at herself, telling us how she has become so lovestruck with her boyfriend and how she used to make fun of people like that in relationships. The track is simply fun, and I found myself unable to stop bopping along with the beat as I listened.
All the tracks on “A Matter of Time” are just as charming as the last, and there is something for everyone in the album, no matter what suits your tastes.
I would give “A Matter of Time” a perfect 5/5 for its stunning instrumentals, vocals, and lyrics. Laufey’s ability to outdo herself time and time again has continued to amaze me, and I can’t wait for her next album.
Until then, there is no doubt in my mind that “A Matter of Time” is Laufey’s best work yet.
