Laufey’s new album A Matter of Time is a lush jazz-pop affair bursting with emotional depth. The Icelandic-Chinese singer layers her classical training over gentle jazz and bossa nova rhythms, adding strings, piano, celesta, accordion and even bits of country and folk flavor. The result is rich and orchestral – some songs use a full symphony orchestra – yet still intimate, like a sophisticated chamber-pop record. Across the album, Laufey’s warm vocals float over vintage-inspired arrangements, creating a dreamy yet modern sound.
Lyrically, she bares her soul. The waltzing ballad “Snow White” confronts lifelong insecurities about body image, with Laufey singing “I don’t think I’m pretty” into a vast Icelandic landscape. Opening track “Sabotage” introduces rawer emotions: it swells to a jarring climax as she admits anger and frustration – aspects of herself she hadn’t shown before. Running through the record is a theme of self-acceptance in love: she acknowledges her fears and flaws. Laufey herself says this was the most free and confident she’s ever been making music. A Matter of Time highlights how her sound has evolved: it still carries that vintage jazz-pop charm, but now with bold, heartfelt honesty and cinematic scope.
