Every morning, I wake up to jazzy ‘50s love songs of the likes of “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” by Kitty Kallen. It started when I watched the musical Birdie featuring songs reminiscent of Frank Sinatra, and I fell in love with the genre.
Then, I came across a modern young female artist whose wide vocal range, heavy vibrato, syncopated beats, and soft melodies with lyrics of yearning love satisfied just what I was looking for: Laufey.
Last Friday, she released a new album, capturing the same jazzy, loving tone: Bewitched.
The album starts with “Dreamer”; The start of which is solely comprised of harmonizing vocals that are both soothing and entrancing. The song then glides into a calm cool rhythm of a jazz brush kit and a style marked of the ‘50s as most of Laufey’s work is.
“Haunted” begins with orchestral sounds backing a lone violin that set a mystical tone that resurfaces throughout the song. Resultantly, the song truly does sound haunted, perfectly matching the tone of the melancholy lyrics.
“Lovesick” is a bit different from Laufey’s other songs. There’s less jazz influence, but it’s a lot more dramatic and sounds almost cinematic with the rising “aahs” during the chorus. It portrays the same theme of the album in a new light; one that’s more exhilarating and passionate.
“California and Me” was made in collaboration with the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the combination of the strings and winds creates a fairytale sensation of hopeful despair. The climbing piano riff repeated throughout the song in the background is simple yet enticing. This song is my favorite from the album.
Carrying on the piano theme, “Nocturne (Interlude)” follows right after, featuring only piano. The beginning of the song also revisits the same riff from the previous, which I love when songs do. This song also presents several different melodies, and no one part of the song is repeated, keeping me engaged despite the absence of vocals.
In “Promise,” the backing instrumentals perfectly complement the chorus as Laufey sings, “It hurts to be something / it’s worse to be nothing / with you.” The words are filled with such longing, and I adore the way Laufey was able to portray the sentiment.
“From The Start” was one of the singles released before the album, and the upbeat rhythm of the guitar and staccato piano create a more joyful melody than the other songs on the album. This song feels like that of a Disney movie princess’s lively dreams.
Exploring a new theme, “Letter To My 13-Year-Old Self” is a beautiful song heartening teenage girls experiencing the same out-of-place feeling she has lived through herself. The development of the storyline from her lyrics “I know that you feel loud, so different from the crowd” to “One day, you’ll be up on stage / little girls will scream your name” is powerful and inspiring.
The last track on the album, titled the same, starts with similarly enchanting sounds as some of the other songs, cleverly tying together the tracks and their themes into a seamless finale.
Overall, the album is incredible. Bewitched effortlessly captures the longing, enchanted feeling of love with soft, melodic jazz. It not only surpassed my expectations, but has also earned its way onto my wake-up playlist.
The album itself is bewitching.
