Laufey’s newest deluxe album, “A Matter of Time: The Final Hour,” showcases her time-stopping vocals and left me heavily anticipating her future music. 

Released on April 10, the album adds four new songs to the original album, “A Matter of Time,” released in August. 

The first song on the deluxe album, “Madwoman,” pleasantly defied my expectations with its upbeat instrumentals. Upon reading the title, I originally expected a sad song about being misunderstood or the expression of anger. Instead, the song is fairly optimistic.

Laufey sings about being “like a mad, mad woman,” because of someone she wants. While she criticizes the man she’s describing, calling his soul the “ugliest,” there’s also some admiration. In the chorus, she confesses that “there’s something so vexing ’bout you,” as she simultaneously “vexes” the listener with her vocal control. 

While the instrumentals at the end of the song are stunning, they stand alone for more than a minute. I wish Laufey sang more throughout. 

Since she is a talented singer, what makes her music so special is her voice. Without her vocals, the song risks sounding like any background music heard at an English tea parlor. 

Instrumentals continue to be an issue in the second deluxe song, “How I Get.” Slightly horror-like instrumentals play twice in the song, reminiscent of “Sabotage,” a song from the original album. 

When I first listened to “Sabotage,” I was frustrated by the abrupt screeching instrumentals. It was so off-putting and strange that I thought something was wrong with my phone. 

Thankfully, I wasn’t as irritated with “How I Get’s” odd instrumentals as much as “Sabotage’s.” Still, I would immensely prefer if both songs didn’t include the eerie sounds. 

“I Wait, I Wait, I Wait” makes the wait worth it, and is my favorite song of the deluxe album.

Lyrically, it was devastating and thought-provoking. The song begins by describing the relatable struggle of anticipating the worst. Laufey then articulates a fear I have never before seen effectively conveyed: “But worst of all/I wait for you to fall/out of love with me.”

She continues to eloquently describe heartbreaking situations by recognizing the consequences of anticipating negative outcomes. Laufey sings that “the price of a cynic is joy for just a minute/nothing to live for.”

However, even though the majority of the song was a lyrical masterpiece, I thought the lyric “pum pum, dun dun” was the weakest. I may not be a professional songwriter, but I think there could have been a stronger line to continue the emotional heaviness. 

Unlike the first two songs, the instrumentals in this one were well-placed. There is a section where the instrumentals are almost completely silent, which allowed me to process the emotional impact. 

Laufey’s compelling vocal performance and powerful lyrics carry through to the last song, “I’ll Forget About You (In Time).”

Throughout the song, she insists that she will forget about “you,” which she changes in the last verse to “him,” as if it’s a fact. Then, in the last line, she asks, “I’ll forget about him, won’t I?” This reveal feels adjacent to a cliffhanger in a novel, and I’m thoroughly impressed. 

I hope I’ll never forget how perfectly Laufey sings the bridge. Her ability to capture such a high level of anguish is astounding. It sounds like her heart is breaking. 

It’s only “A Matter of Time” before I start relistening to “I Wait, I Wait, I Wait” and “I’ll Forget About You (In Time).” 

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