After seven months since the release of “A Matter of Time,” Laufey has finally decided it was time to release the deluxe edition “A Matter of Time: The Final Hour” on April 10. While we may have turned into madwomen awaiting its release, it was well worth the wait.
The original edition of the album was a critically acclaimed and Grammy winning jazz-pop album that re-told and essentially challenged the “fairytale” narrative of love. It dove deep into themes of insecurity, infatuation, and loss. All while disputing the notion that relationships are naturally perfect and explores the development of relationships through different periods of time, touching on toxicity, heartbreak, and the vulnerability of loving and being loved.
The deluxe expands on these themes but leans especially hard into breaking toxic cycles, grief, and self-growth. And Laufey does this the best way she knows how—with sorrowful lyrics, backdropped with her classic jazz and unique orchestra. Along with all new album visuals and four new songs, this release has come with a new music video for the single “Madwoman,” it’s safe to say Laufey fans are well-fed, even after all this time.
The deluxe begins with “Madwoman,” which is a track about the toxic cycle of returning to a past lover, even when you know it’s bad for you. Laufey sings, “Such a terrible idea/Worst one I’ve had all this year/But I can’t ignore our obvious attraction.” She perfectly encapsulates that feeling of being unable, or unwilling, to stay away from that person.
The next one is a tearjerker. “How I Get” explores altering yourself and changing your morals fit with a lover. This song depicts an incredibly intense, passionate, and borderline addictive relationship. In this record, Laufey questions “Has addiction come for me?” clearly outlining how she feels unhealthily attached to this person. In addition to the intimate, chilling lyrics, is the orchestra in the background, a stimulating and powerful backtrack that extenuates the heavy emotion from the lyrics.
The strongest verse in this song, and arguably the greatest in the entire album, is “I don’t smoke cigarettes/Don’t do things I’ll regret/Don’t mood swing, shoulder bets/But baby, with you, that’s just how I get.” This one is for all the anxious attachment girls.
The third track is “I wait, I wait, I wait” and it’s especially vulnerable and harrowing. Accompanied with a piano melody, it describes the poignant fear of abandonment, an all too familiar feeling for many people. Throughout the song, Laufey explores living in expectation of heartbreak, loss, and abandonment. She sings “I wait for the day when you finally say/You’re out of love with me.”
The final song in this deluxe is “I’ll Forget About You (In Time)” and it’s a bittersweet conclusion to the album. After various heartbreak anthems, this one is a ballad about moving on. It comes at a powerful point in the album. While the rest of the new tracks are about toxic cycles and unhealthy relationships, this song’s message about time being the biggest healer is impactful.
The song depicts the aftermath of the relationship, “I knew I had to do it, break it off/Now I feel ruined ‘cause you treated me so awfully.” This is a beautiful line, especially as it comes after “Madwoman” explored returning to a toxic relationship. It’s truly a mark of how time heals. The album closes with “I’ll forget about him in time, oh/I’ll forget about him, won’t I?” It is the ultimate testament of self growth and the passage of time.
Along with the new tracks, the visuals for the deluxe are vastly different from the original edition. The original visuals were hues of light and dark blue, and the cover was Laufey in front of a large, blue clock. The deluxe, however, is filled with shades of green. While it does also contain a clock, it is more subtle and muted, the image in front of greenery. Instead of Laufey simply placed in front of the clock, she is leaning toward the time on the clock, as if she were chasing or reaching for time.
According to her website, this deluxe marks the end of an era for Laufey. While she has officially closed this chapter, it’s not too little, too late for you to reopen and dive into this tale. Especially with her Coachella run this weekend and into the next, she’s sure to linger in everyone’s minds and hearts.
