Laufey - A Matter Of Time
“I’ve been working overtime to have you in my world.”
Laufey has occupied a unique spot within the modern pop landscape, with her heavy draws from jazz and similar retro elements. She stays faithful to this on her third LP, A Matter Of Time, but presents what feels like the most refined version of her sound yet.
The album’s title invokes imagery related to time, and the music on the record stays true to that - many songs throughout the tracklist make references to the passage of time in the lyrics, and some even include musical motifs reminiscent of ticking clocks. This recurring theme allows A Matter Of Time to feel much more cohesive and whole as a project. And, alongside being cohesive, it’s also incredibly consistent in terms of the quality of the tracks - the first half in particular is one of the best stretches of tracks of the year. Even the instrumental interlude, “Cuckoo Ballet”, is a wonderful track which serves as a perfect transition between the two halves of the record. The opener, “Clockwork”, serves as a great introduction into the world of the record, and the closer, “Sabotage”, one of the album’s main highlights, wraps things up perfectly, with a big, rock-influenced outro that feels like all the emotion on the project coming to a head.
The album’s production is stellar, with twinkling keys and elegant strings making every track feel like something out of a fairytale. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra’s presence on the record is very noteworthy and provides extra volume and residence to the instrumentation. There’s also a good deal of stylistic variety, too - while tracks like “Clockwork” and “Mr. Eclectic” stick to the jazz-pop sound, there are also songs such as “Castle In Hollywood” that follow more modern folk-pop and indie pop canons. And there’s many more sounds on the record, too - “Lover Girl” has a bossa nova groove to it, and “Silver Lining” has some pop soul influence in its rhythm, among others. Laufey navigates the stylistic differences perfectly, weaving it all together with her silky-smooth vocals. She also has some moments on the album where she adds some emotional emphasis in her voice; these moments stand out and gain an extra bit of impact due to their contrast to the subtlety and gentleness of most of the album.
Laufey’s biggest asset is her writing, though. The alternation between more confident tracks and ones where she feels like she’s at her lowest and most vulnerable align perfectly with an emotional cycle that is both compelling and relatable. The imagery she uses in her songs is incredibly vivid and immersive, making the listener feel as though they’re right there in the moment when the things Laufey describes are taking place. The third track, “Snow White”, is the best on the record, discussing body image and self-esteem issues in incredibly cutting and honest ways. “Too Little, Too Late” is another major highlight from the songwriting point of view, where Laufey takes accountability for a relationship that fell apart, and has to accept that the other person has moved on and there’s nothing she can do.
A Matter Of Time is Laufey at a career-high level so far. Her songwriting is fantastic, genuine and captivating; the instrumentals are composed wonderfully and are given a luscious, rich texture by the production; there’s plenty of variety and interesting moments on the record. Laufey is unquestionably one of the most interesting artists in mainstream pop today, and her brilliant third album only continues her upward trajectory.
8.6/10
