"Laufey - Bewitched" Simply Enchanting

 


    I pretty distinctly remember what I was doing when I first listened to Laufey. It was sometime during Autumn, in the last few months of the year, and my friends had been pestering me constantly to give her a shot. I'll admit I was skeptical, this album had come out around the same time as The Loveliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen, so it wasn't really on my radar, but eventually I relented. I was doing my regular commute to school, and I put on this album, and with the first track, Dreamer, I was instantly transported. I wouldn't go as far to say that this album has made her into one of my favourite artists, but this album genuinely is beautiful, and I love the tone it sets and carries with pretty much throughout the entire album. I remember putting this album on again closer to Christmas time, and I do think this warm, cozy feeling she's able to conjure fits perfectly in that winter/Christmas sweet spot in December that I do so much adore. So without further ado, my track-by-track review.

Bewitched - Laufey

Dreamer - 90/100 I just kind of love her voice it fits this style of music perfectly. If someone told me to describe sophistopop it'd probably be something like this song. I also just quite like the message of this song as well.

Second Best - 85/100 Look I don't know what it is about this record but it's just so beautiful to me. I'm usually not someone who enjoys slow music either but something about it just itches that sense of longing and angst I so often feel.

Haunted - 80/100 Maybe I'm just in the right mood to enjoy Laufey at the moment, but I really do love this album and the songs on it. Maybe I just relate to her sappy, hopeless romantic lyrics too much.

Must Be Love - 80/100 This song is really simple and slow, but I do kind of love the tune of this song as she softly sings over a single guitar. It's just so cute I'm looking outside at the rain pouring and I could go cuddle up in a blanket right now.

While You Were Sleeping - 85/100 I don't know if I really have much to say about this album or this song, in the best way possible. It's just beautiful, you just put it on and let yourself become mesmerized.

Lovesick - 90/100 The chorus to this song is just amazing, especially with the way the instruments all rush in, and the way she delivers the line "God, I'm so lovesick". What I absolutely adore as well is the outro, just the way her voice is harmonizing the ah's at the very end just melts my very soul.

California and Me - 95/100 This song is easily my favourite track off of the album. I'm just a sucker for the piano in this track it always makes emotional, it just manages to reduce me to my mushiest as soon as the chorus hits.

Nocturne (Interlude) - Should I really be rating an interlude? Anyways this once again has the enchanting piano work that I loved from the previous track so of course I'm in love with it.

Promise - 80/100 My favourite part of this song is probably around the middle point where the strings begin to join in and rise.

From The Start - 85/100 Considering how slow this entire album is it's good to get a more upbeat bossa nova song that also just happens to be one of the catchier tracks on this album.

Misty - 70/100 I'm going to be honest at this point of the album I think the album slows down quite significantly. Which is fine considering how much I enjoy the rest of the record, but I do think this album kind of almost stumbles its way to the very end.

Serendipity - 75/100 A cuteish song, but I'd say it's nothing special compared to the rest of the album

Letter To My 13 Year Old Self - 65/100 While I do commend her for writing a letter to her younger self I also just think this song doesn't really have the juice that the other tracks do and it's almost too soft? Perhaps if there was more energy in the chorus or something.

Bewitched - 75/100 A solid effort, even if it's weaker than the other tracks off of this album. I do think that the strings at the end of this album are probably the best they are in the entire album though.

Final Score: 81/100

    Are my scores for this album a bit outrageously high? Maybe, and it certainly isn't the most replayable or catchy album I've heard. Regardless, I really do think this album is beautiful, and when I'm in the mood to listen to Laufey's music this album hits me in all the right spots. I mean otherwise why else would I be coming back to it. Perhaps I need to expand my horizons in terms of music that's slower and incorporates strings, but to me, when I'm feeling that itch to be a bit sappy, and listen to pretty music, I turn to Laufey. I think even for people who don't listen to this kind of music typically, or are skeptical of this album they should at the very least give this album a shot, because it really is some of the prettiest music I've heard in the last couple of years.

    


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