“It’s just a matter of time til you see the dagger.”
That’s the lyric that encapsulates “A Matter of Time,” Laufey’s most experimental and lyrically vulnerable yet.
Laufey, Icelandic singer-songwriter, known for her mission to bring jazz music to the modern age, released her third studio album “A Matter of Time” Aug. 22 after a four single lead up. It’s extremely rare for me to be of the opinion that an album is an artist’s best so far upon the first listen (in fact I usually spend album-release days mourning an artist’s old music), but Laufey’s “A Matter of Time” took that spot immediately.
In a noticeable diversion from her heavily jazz-influenced first albums, “A Matter of Time” seamlessly explores a wide variety of songs from jazz to more pop to bossa nova.
“I just really didn’t think too much about what box the album was going to fit into,” Laufey said in an interview with Time Magazine. “I’ve never been able to fit into one category or another, and I didn’t want to be held back by fitting into one. So I kind of just let myself be free.”
This is definitely her most diverse piece of work yet, and I love it for that. Laufey is able to maintain perfect cohesiveness while diverting from her previous sound that she has stuck pretty faithfully to (not that I’ve ever complained.)
One of the singles, “Tough Luck” displays Laufey’s range and ability to branch out from her “usual” sound. It’s more pop-leaning than most of her songs and a bit more upbeat. The chorus in particular is incredibly catchy. This is the single that hooked me on this album, leading me to anxiously await its release date.
In a very different single, “Lover Girl”, Laufey returns to the bossa nova sound of the incredibly successful song off “Bewitched,” “From the Start.” She perfectly plays into her whimsicality in this track, featuring claps and a playful instrumental. “A Matter of Time” has proved her ability to release more traditionally “catchy” songs as displayed in these two singles.
And transitioning into yet another different sound, “Clean Air,” which has quickly become one of my favorites, leans into a more folk sound. It plays with tambourines and acoustic guitar to achieve a lovely twangy sound, one that is completely new to her as an artist.
The only track on the album that draws a negative from me is “Sabotage.” Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love (almost) everything about this track. The lyrics, the instrumental, the harmonies are all gorgeous. Except for the TikTok-viral “jumpscare” where Laufey aggressively strums her cello in a not-so-enjoyable way. People view it as interesting and a clever way to diversify the track, but for me it just ruins the flow of an otherwise gorgeous track.
However, this is the only qualm I have with the album. Another highlight for me is the fourth single, “Snow White,” a stunning commentary on female beauty standards.
“A woman’s best currency’s her body, not her brains,” the Icelandic singer sings on the track.
It’s a nice contrast to the rest of the tracklist, as one of the slower ones on the album. Her vocals are beautifully understated and soft, highlighting her intense vocal training, particularly shown through her masterful vibrato.
In another step towards making a delightfully cohesive album, the clock and time themes Laufey references throughout the piece tie together its name and cover nicely with the lyrics and instrumentals. From the “ding dong” intro in the opening track “Clockwork” to the “matter of time” lyrics in the closing track “Sabotage,” Laufey is able to skillfully tie her lyrics back to the overall messaging and visuals for the album.
While her past two albums were certainly cohesive, this thematic consistency is a step up for Laufey as an artist, which is wonderful to see.
It’s clear that Laufey enjoyed exploring more facets of herself as an artist. And she was certainly successful. From more variety in lyrics, to dipping her toes into new sounds, she has made it crystal clear that she has not reached her peak as an artist. We can assume we will be seeing much more from our favorite modern jazz artist.
