It’s not often that I listen to an album in its entirety immediately upon its release. It usually takes me weeks, sometimes even months, to finally muster the motivation to listen to the whole album, but this is never the case with Laufey.
When I first heard Laufey’s latest album, A Matter of Time, I was hit by a wave of emotions. Feeling a strange mix of excitement, awe, and sadness, I gasped at every new standout moment and ended with an endless stream of tears. Across the fourteen tracks, Laufey flawlessly blends pop, classical, bossa nova, and jazz into songs that are timeless yet distinctly her own.
In one song, you’ll hear a gentle jazz rhythm layered with soothing string arrangements, while in another, she surprises her audience with upbeat country-inspired beats following her tender vocals sung in her native Icelandic. The minor but powerful contrasts, a whisper of piano keys before being swept away by a formal orchestra, are what make her signature sounds truly come alive.
A Matter of Time stands apart from today’s music trends, which often feature short and overproduced pop songs, geared towards virality—the kind that relies on a catchy chorus rather than emotional depth. Instead, Laufey takes a quieter approach. Every note, soft string, and piano chord on the album feels deliberate, as if she’s inviting us into her thoughts. “But mirrors tell lies to me, my mind just plays along…I don’t think I’m pretty, it’s not up for debate,” Laufey sings in the album’s third track, Snow White. Here, Laufey reinterprets and completely inverts the classic fairytale’s traditional meaning. While Snow White is celebrated as the “fairest of them all in her story,” Laufey uses the familiar reference to explore her own vulnerability and insecurities, making the fairytale feel more personal and relatable.
Laufey’s past albums, with songs you may know like “From The Start” and “Let You Break My Heart Again”, are primarily known for covering heartbreak and love; however, A Matter of Time expands beyond romance in subject matter. In the fourth track, Castle In Hollywood, Laufey reflects on a friendship that has ended, reminiscing about the times they shared. This song captures a bittersweet blend of nostalgia and melancholy, highlighting how loss doesn’t necessarily need to be romantic. With her delicate vocals, Laufey uses those relayed memories to create something more relatable and emotional, showcasing her ability to connect with her listeners through her reflections on all kinds of relationships.
A Matter of Time feels like Laufey’s most mature and emotionally rich album to date. It goes beyond an album; it’s a story about growing up, letting go, and finding the beauty in your insecurities. With this new release, Laufey further proves that she doesn’t need to follow trends in order to make music that people can resonate with. A Matter of Time is something that allows us to immerse ourselves in Laufey’s personal experiences while reminiscing about our own.
