Laufey’s new album marries contemporary problems with iconic jazz tunes from the past, earning its title “A Matter of Time.”
Chinese-Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey brought a modern voice to jazz-pop with the success of her breakthrough album, “Bewitched.” While “A Matter of Time” still leans heavily on traditional pop and jazz, it also speaks to the complexities of navigating love, friendship and self image as a young person in the present day.
This time around, Laufey is more open to bending the rules musically. This new album, released on Aug. 22, is looser than “Bewitched,” with plenty of tongue-in-cheek lyrics — “The proof says you’re tragic as fuck,” on “Tough Luck” — and a less predictable sound. She flows between more reserved, longing lyrics, reminiscent of her older work, and daringly playful lyrics that speak to phenomena such as performative men and fluctuating beauty standards.
“Mr. Eclectic” is the most lyrically lively track, as Laufey pokes fun at men who might drink matcha or read feminist literature and sings, “Bet you think you’re so poetic / Quoting epics and ancient prose / Truth be told, you’re quite pathetic.” The blend of the classic, groovy bossa nova tune with Laufey’s commentary on performative male culture allows audiences to connect with the traditional sound. This sentiment is particularly ironic coming from Laufey, whose music is frequently adopted by men seeking validation from women by listening to sensitive, feminine music.
“Tough Luck” similarly teases some of the men Laufey has encountered. Against a beautiful, building melody and entrancing vocals, she warns her partner that she is ending their relationship due to his behavior. She playfully reverberates his insults, creating delightfully sassy lyrical moments, such as “My accent and music are dumb / Your tattoos are no better, hun.” It’s evident Laufey is having fun on what might be the jazziest post-break-up revenge anthem to exist.
Backdropped by soft guitar strumming, Laufey’s vocals shine on the most emotional track of the album, “Snow White.” She understands how to truly utilize her voice, including vocal cracks and a haunting belt to enhance the gut-wrenching piece, which grapples with how devastating it can be to not feel beautiful in a world where beauty is currency. The lyrics are raw and especially resonate with female listeners. She explains that whatever she does, she feels it’ll never meet society’s expectations, expressing that “The people want beauty; skinny always wins / And I don’t have enough of it / I’ll never have enough of it.” Although it’s not flashy instrumentally, the song is beautifully heartbreaking and includes some of Laufey’s most vulnerable lyrics to date.
In “Castle in Hollywood,” Laufey shows off her lyrical prowess again as she examines a friendship breakup. Treating the subject with the same level of care as one would for a romantic breakup, Laufey sings, “It’s a heartbreak / Marked the end of our girlhood.” It isn’t revolutionary, but the exploration of female friendship breakups in an industry that is so dominated by straight, romantic breakup songs feels exciting and fresh.
Still, a few songs on the album blend into the background. “Clockwork” and “Carousel” almost stick too closely to Laufey’s style on “Bewitched,” which is less experimental. While both songs are pretty, they sound melodically reserved and fail to explore something lyrically exciting — with “Clockwork” focusing on unintentionally falling in love and “Carousel” comparing fame to a circus. They aren’t bad songs, but compared to the more novel material on “A Matter of Time,” they suffer from mediocrity.
The album is successful in what it’s trying to achieve — a balance between lighthearted lyrics and emotional, heart-throbbing ballads. While it may not be a huge evolution from her last project, “A Matter of Time” cements Laufey as an artist who stands firmly in her distinctly jazzy sound in a sea of mainstream pop.
Contact Skylar Boilard at [email protected].