Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Jazz has an awkward position in pop music. Critics used to encounter it in underground clubs and bars, then jazz became synonymous with commercial pop to the ire of snobs as “failed art music” or even capitalist propaganda. Now jazz is the grandparent of almost every contemporary music sound and instead of being the target of musical elitists, it is now their weapon. When jazz is pop, it is typically as a novelty, like Lady Gaga’s (“Love for Sale”) forays with Tony Bennett (“Celebrates 90”), or NPR locals like Norah Jones (“Pick Me Up Off the Floor”). Rarely do we get a sincere and ambitious fusion of tasteful pop and clever jazz.
Meet Laufey (“Everything I Know About Love”). Those who enjoyed Billie Eilish’s (“my future”) experiments with bossa nova on her last album “Happier Than Ever” would enjoy Laufey’s soft croons and minimalist production. Eilish herself shared Laufey’s cover of “Happier Than Ever” on Instagram. But Laufey has more musical credibility than the millions of Eilish clones clinging onto Spotify playlists. Her sophomore album “Bewitched,” which she released on Sept. 8, proves she is a rising star in the alternative circuit.
“Dreamer” kicks off the album with a reanimation of Judy Garland’s (“The Garland Touch”) long-passed corpse. Laufey converts Garland’s iconic romantic sorrow with a feminist reversal. “No boy’s gonna kill the dreamer in me,” she croons, as in the background she repeats that characterizing word: dreamer.
Laufey’s unique mixture of contemporary alternative and traditional jazz is not merely a gimmick. Her intimate lyricism shines through on tracks like “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self” and “Must Be Love.” On the former track she wishes to tell her younger self that she is beautiful despite the objectifying standards she surrounded herself with: prettier girls with clothes that fit and names easy to pronounce. She tells herself, “Write your story, fall in love a little too/The things you thought you’d never do.” An acoustic guitar plucks against a mellow string quartet evoking the warm feeling of perusing old photographs. The latter track is this confidence in action: “Come kiss me/Convince me/This must be/It must be love.” The fuzzy production on “Bewitched” recalls the warm crackle of vinyl records or even more antique lacquers. The indie rock-inspired “Lovesick” sounds like a mashup of the retro stylings of Jack Antonoff (“Midnights”) with the emotional vocals of Mitski (“Laurel Hell”). Twice on the album, Laufey invites the Philharmonia Orchestra to layer her intimate songwriting into a lush, frosty atmosphere. She plays a twinkling nocturne interlude, aptly titled “Nocturne (Interlude”), that makes a motif out of the “Lovesick” chorus. The album’s deviations into the classical feel oddly refreshing in a musical landscape of artists competing to be the next big trend.
There is much to say about this album with its semblance of humility and poise. Laufey’s style is bold for its unboldness. It resonates with its softness. It feels truthful because of, not despite, its performance of the vintage and traditional.
Image from Laufey via Twitter.com
