Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir, who performs under the stage name Laufey, released the highly anticipated “A Matter of Time” Aug. 22, a follow-up to her greatly successful sophomore album “Bewitched.” Her four singles — “Silver Lining,” “Tough Luck,” “Lover Girl” and “Snow White” — were received positively by fans, and outlined a record that seemed to be embracing the fusion of jazz, bossa nova and pop from her first two albums.
In many ways, this proved to be the case, with several tracks that leaned into her smooth, bossa nova-inspired style. “Lover Girl” and “Mr. Eclectic” have the clave rhythm, jazzy piano and guitar and soft strings of Laufey’s first album.
Laufey does not simply retread ground on this album, however. This record justifies its 45 minute run-time with a far greater variety of sounds than its predecessor had.
Take the sixth track, “Silver Lining,” for instance, a ballad you could sway to with a partner. A simple, consistent drum beat backs an arpeggiated guitar. During the chorus, a beautiful harmony of strings accompanies Laufey’s fluttering, slightly syncopated, vibrato-filled vocal runs.
A track such as “Castle in Hollywood,” on the other hand, sounds like it came straight off of a 2000s Taylor Swift record, with a poppy, muted acoustic guitar, a catchy melody and heartbroken lyrics filled with metaphor. Lines such as “I thought that lilies died by winter / Then they bloomed in spring” or “our fairy story” embrace the style.
The album features even more experimental sounds as well. Track 8, “Cuckoo Ballet - Interlude,” is a 3.5 minute long, entirely instrumental track that sounds exactly like its title. The tick-tocking in the background, the flute and plucked strings all contribute to the playful sound of the song, giving a welcome break from the emotionality of the rest of the album.
Perhaps the most sonically interesting song on the album is “Sabotage.” It certainly features Laufey’s most experimental use of production thus far, with sharp strings cutting into the mix only to be cut off again at a moment’s notice, underlying her bitter lyrics with anger. Laufey's voice is soft, but the line “Brace your heart / For cold, bloody, bitter sabotage” reveals her true feelings.
The song ends with a loud, heavily reverbed choral section, the harsh strings from before coming in full force and the drummer smashing the cymbals and toms, only for everything to suddenly end without warning. It is a song brimming with emotion that pours out of every aspect of the music.
What is remarkable is that Laufey is able to branch out on this record while maintaining a cohesive, signature sound. Jazz influence permeates every inch of the record, with song structures that feature several different chord progressions, often longer than the typical four-chord progressions of popular music. The instrumentation, often featuring rhythmic, muted guitar, syncopated drums and piano and plucked strings, all feed into this sound effortlessly.
Lyrically, the record excels for the most part. Laufey strikes a great balance between honesty and humor. Laufey’s down-to-Earth lyricism is as personal as ever, with the 11th track, “A Cautionary Tale,” featuring the lines “Was born to be a giver / Destined to pay the toll” framing the regret she feels after over-committing to an unhealthy relationship.
Other tracks lean into a more tongue-in-cheek sound. In “Lover Girl,” she makes fun of all the cliché traits of someone high on love, yet playfully and ironically ends each chorus with “What a curse it is to be a lover girl,” describing herself.
However, more 2000s pop-inspired tracks feel jarring in the context of the album. Track 10, “Tough Luck,” features the lyrics “You think you’re so misunderstood / The black cat of your neighborhood,” a line so on the nose it is almost grating. The obvious and simplistic metaphor, written to be as digestible as possible, feels out of place among a host of songs with otherwise clever and impactful lyrics.
The standout element of the album is once again Laufey’s vocals. The record is packed full of melodies that seem to scratch an itch in the brain, hitting just the right notes at the right time, her quick, chromatic vocal runs giving them a dynamic rhythm.
Slower songs like “Forget-Me-Not” feature some of her best melodic compositions yet, reaching to the bottom of her vocal range. The call-and-response between the vocals and strings highlight her beautifully dark singing.
Unfortunately, sometimes Laufey’s produced-to-perfection, meticulously prepared singing can undermine the songs. As it did on her first two records, the heavy jazz influence clashes with the lack of improvisation. Everything has been rehearsed and re-recorded to perfection. While that makes for a remarkably easy listening experience, it also leaves the album feeling very commercial.
That being said, this style works great for Laufey’s poppier outings, such as “Castle in Hollywood” and “Tough Luck,” and her jazzier tracks still have fantastic writing and performances that are enjoyable and meaningful despite their over-production.
“A Matter of Time” expands upon Laufey’s strong foundation in jazz-influenced pop, taking her signature writing style and extrapolating new sounds from it. The album’s greatest strength simply comes from its listenability. The tracklist never drags and each track brings something worthwhile to the record.
Read More
Conan Gray returns to his signature sound in a new raw and real album, “Wishbone”
By Delaney Coppola | YesterdayWith 12 tracks full of emotion and wistful lyricism, the musical storyline paints the hopefulness of falling in love, and the painful, bittersweet memories that come with falling out of it.
Newly opened Commerce Street Books amplifies Charlottesville’s literature scene
By Benjamin Apostol | 4 days agoThe independent bookstore was founded by Class of 2015 alumnus Philip Lorish, who hopes to support what he calls the “practice of reading” in the Charlottesville community.
Rotunda Sing invites students into the University’s a capella world
By Fiona Goo | 5 days ago17 musical groups performed on the Lawn Wednesday, marking the 37th annual Rotunda Sing.
