Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir, the upcoming Icelandic jazz singer, recently released her second album, Bewitched on September 9th, 2023 through Artists Without A Label. Bewitched is a beautifully represented cycle of love, delving deep into the themes of longing, heartache, and obsession.
The album begins with “Dreamer,” in which Laufey expresses the fact that perhaps it is better to dream than to truly look for love. Who hasn’t imagined a perfect love story? To clarify why she is content to keep dreaming, Laufey presents “Haunted”. She explains her past lover had wanted another, and that this has left her “Haunted.” The contrast between “Dreamer” and “Haunted” paints a picture of happier memories, left behind to fuel her dreams. I immediately felt Laufey’s heartbreak in these lyrics, wishing that love could be returned the way it is given, and praying old scars would heal.
The next track, “Must Be Love,” communicates the idea that a lover has appeared, and they seem almost surreal. “While You Were Sleeping,” fortifies this feeling. She is almost giddy, embracing that she has fallen in love again. The music brings butterflies to my stomach, evoking the feelings of new love, and practically dancing on a cloud. The love quickly turns to obsession in “Lovesick,” a track with a less fluffy feeling and much stronger vocals. The strength and speed of the music illustrates her desire for love and the whirlwind in her mind. The obsession spins us into “California and Me,” the only track co-composed by the Philharmonia Orchestra. Although still dizzy from earlier love, the song hints that perhaps her partner did not fall head over heels in love as she had. I found myself reminiscing with her on relationships that were doomed from the start, overcome with sorrow because “you didn’t love me.”
“Nocturne,” the interlude, takes a second to connect each song. Notwithstanding the lack of lyrics, the piano pulls us along, re-enacting the story, and capturing every sentiment into one. After everything, Laufey goes through the stage of love I know as “no-contact” in “Promise,” and breaks it in “From the Start.” Masked by a happy sheen, represented by the melody, Laufey’s grief is chasmic, depicted by the lyrics. From this song, we get the idea that the anguish is too much to face head-on, and must be diluted through false happiness. Regardless, the pain is finally faced in “Serendipity” ending the endless cycle. This song represents Laufey’s acceptance. Though she can reminisce, the love is gone, and she must come to terms with it.
On this album, I related the most to “A Letter to My 13 Year Old Self.” In fact, this ending made me cry. The song conveys the self-love that occurs at the end of a relationship. Perhaps the biggest truth in the album is that we have so much life to look forward to. It’s okay to feel different, it isn’t a bad thing. It is up to you to write your own story, to fall in and out of love, and to chase your dreams. Laufey presents her heart to us, and reminds us that we are beautiful in our own way. Finally, “Bewitched,” reveals she has found love again, and is ready to give it another go.
