Following her recent release of her newest album, jazz-pop singer Laufey announced the newest deluxe version of A Matter of Time, called The Final Hour. The album expanded the former by five tracks, including “Seems Like Old Times,” “Madwoman,” “How I Get,” “I Wait, I Wait, I Wait,” and “I’ll Forget You (In Time).”
The first song added, called “Seems Like Old Times,” is actually a cover of a song bearing the same name, written by Guy Lombardo. The song is Track 15 (or 3p.m.), keeping up with the time-theming of the album. “Seems Like Old Times” was released before The Final Hour, but was included as a new track within the published album. The song dives into the bitter sweet nostalgia of a romance, blending the feeling of yearning with a familiar tone. Featuring a warm instrumental backtracking Laufey’s soft voice, the song features lyrics such as “Seems like old times / dinner dates and flowers…” reminiscing about the “old times” that the singer felt with their lover. Overall, this song’s tone, picking up to a more jazzy feel mid-way through, gives it a solid 7/10.
The next song switches to “Madwoman,” a jazzy theme that discusses the feeling of irrationality, feeling like you’ve done this, with a lyric like “we’ve been through this before.” Laufey sings about the feeling of doing this before, knowing that it’ll end in flames, but her love is just as strong. Combining that with her soft tone and the jazz chords that will ensure a small sway, “Madwoman” is a great 9/10 song. The music video for this song also features actors Lola Tung and Hudson Williams, figure skater Alyssa Liu, and fellow Megan Skiendel from the Korean Pop group “KATSEYE.”
The mood of the album sinks down to a sadder tone with the next song, “How I Get.” A heart-grabbing ballad about how as a person, Laufey doesn’t “smoke cigarettes,” “don’t do things I regret,” or “don’t mood swing,” saying that she’s been disciplined and grounded as a person…except when it comes to one person. With this person, she’s “caught up in a web,” “blinded by you,” because “that’s just how [she] gets.” The swelling of words such as “I don’t smoke…” is a nice touch to the song, and is a 7/10.
“I Wait, I Wait, I Wait” is a song about the overwhelming dread, “waiting for the sickness in health,” “an earthquake in silence,” or a “nightmare in a dream.” But, most importantly, Laufey knows how the relationship will end. She’s waiting for her lover to fall out with her, she’s been here before in tracks like “Madwoman.” The song is slow, representing the slower burning of Laufey’s feelings, the song teases a build up, but it never comes. The listener is stuck waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the bigger part. “I Wait, I Wait, I Wait” is an 8/10.
The album concludes with “I’ll Forget You (In Time).” A slow song, which encapsulates the pushing and pulling of a relationship, and the heartbreak that follows it. The song is a fragile ballad, a prayer that maybe time can mend what seems unfixable, even if in the moment, you “don’t believe [you’ll] fall in love again.” The song ends with a chilling lyric of “I’ll forget about him, won’t I?” The song is a 10/10, and a perfect ending for a great album.
A Matter of Time is an album that deserves all the attention it gets, from the upbeat tracks like “Madwoman,” “Tough Luck,” and “Lover Girl,” to the heartbreaks that follow after, like “I Wait, I Wait, I Wait,” “Too Little, Too Late,” and “I’ll Forget You (In Time),” the album feels like it comes full circle.
