By: Lucy Panicacci

Local News Editor

Attention all hopeless romantics and jazz enthusiasts: modern jazz artist Laufey released her second studio album Bewitched on Sept. 8. A dazzling mix of piano, full orchestra, and Laufey’s melodic voice, the album contains a total of 14 unskippable songs. Following Laufey’s masterpiece of a debut album, Everything I Know About Love, released Aug. 26, 2022, Bewitched had a lot to live up to, but it managed to exceed my expectations. The album focuses on young love, specifically capturing the experience of falling in and out of love. 

My personal favorites of the album are While You Were Sleeping, California and Me, and Promise. While You Were Sleeping is about the feeling of deep romantic connection with someone at first sight, transforming you into a different version of yourself. All the while, the other person is unaware that you are falling in love. This song is so addicting that I must have already listened to it 20 plus times. The combination of soothing guitar strumming and Laufey’s extraordinary vocals, showcasing her higher octave, made this my number one favorite song on Bewitched. 

A close second is California and Me, in which Laufey reflects on a failed relationship and their time enjoyed in California after her partner returns to New York to be with someone else. This song, in particular, has an amazing instrumental. It starts out with enchanting piano arpeggios. Then, in the chorus, the mix of piano, orchestra, and Laufey’s calming vocals, singing “Left me and the ocean for your flame,” is unreal. 

My third favorite, Promise, is about trying to distance yourself from someone who you love, knowing they are not good for you. Throughout the track, Laufey catches the pain of this love, singing, “It hurts to something / It’s worse to be nothing with you.” The best part of the song, the bridge, builds up to a grand crescendo of strings and lyrics, including, “I’ve done the math / There’s no solution.” 

Other notable mentions include From The Start, which gained massive popularity on TikTok prior to the release of the full album. From The Start features a beautiful piano part, which gives me a similar feel to Great Fairy’s Fountain from Legend of Zelda. Laufey also gave an amazing rendition of the classic jazz song Misty — also covered by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Julie London. The final track, Bewitched, ended the album beautifully. The combination of the full, lively orchestra brought a fantastical vibe to the song, creating a fairy tale feeling of falling in love. 

Overall, there is never a dull moment in the whole album. The variation in style between songs keeps it interesting. Even the first track, Dreamer, captured me immediately with the overlaying, dream-like harmonies of Laufey’s voice; the singer beautifully switches between calming, melodic style backed with strings to quick, jazzy beats. This produces an album that sports both catchy, fast-paced songs like From The Start as well as the somber moods like the feel of Letter To My 13 Year Old Self. If you haven’t given Bewitched a listen yet, it’s an absolute must.