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Photo: Gemma Warren

Multi-instrumentalist Laufey showcases the full extent of her musical ability in her debut album, Everything I Know About Love. From cinematic, jazz-inspired orchestral arrangements to intimate and deeply personal lyrics that read like they're for your ears alone, Laufey throws her entire self into this album. She takes you on a journey to show not only everything she knows about love but everything she knows about life and making music.

Everything I Know About Love opens with the ethereal "Fragile." The track is an elegant, poignant piece that starts with an orchestral swell but then turns into an experience built around gently plucked bossa nova guitar and guided by soft and silky smooth vocals and enticing lyrics. It's fittingly romantic, sparking imagery of flowers and incandescent-lit rooms filled with slow-dance-inducing music, laying the groundwork for Laufey to teach us everything she knows about love. "Beautiful Stranger" changes tempo ever so slightly, dedicating itself to the transient feelings of fleeting love, with lyrics like, "I tend to fall in love on the tube" and "What if I hadn't left the train at Ladbroke Grove," keeping listeners on the edge of their seats. Laufey revealed in an Instagram live that this song is really a love letter to a face she briefly saw while on public transit, demonstrating that even the shortest, most mundane interactions can be filled with love.

"Above The Chinese Restaurant" takes listeners on an enchanting journey through the rising star's memories, from sharing dumplings to hearing her neighbors snoring next door. While reminiscing, she finally realizes, "Wish I'd known I had all I could want / In our tiny apartment above the Chinese restaurant." In "What Love Will Do to You," the singer describes the frenzy and confusion experienced by someone in love. It's different from previous love songs because it is more reflective and self-observant. It deals with the feelings you feel as a lover, the bewilderment and chaos that comes into your life when you open it up to someone else. This track feels more structured and contains distinct verses and a chorus, which is ironic considering the lyrics are about a lack of structure. The juxtaposition of the melodic structure against the song's story cleverly illustrates the topsy-turvy quality of being in love but in a very natural and organic way. 

The eponymous "Everything I Know About Love" dives deeper into Laufey's world of love and reflection. The album plays like a meandering storybook with velvet-smooth harmonies, swelling string sections, and the faintest crackle of an old jazz record. The lyrics give us one of Everything I Know About Love's primary delights, Laufey's honest self-expression wrapped in the dreamy cadence of the old jazz standards. By playing on contrasts like these, Laufey continues to build bridges between the histories and genres of music with ease. "Night Light" perfectly closes out the story of the album beautifully. Her vocal register shines in this finale, with her voice's deep and full-bodied hues acting as the perfect vehicle for the open-hearted sincerity of these songs. It's a beautiful contrast to "Fragile," with its more somber tone confronting the nostalgia and emotions entangled within a childhood bedroom. Musically and lyrically mature, this track illustrates the journey we have all been on together throughout this stunning debut, and as the song comes to an end, Laufey demonstrates how not only her understanding of love has grown but how she, as a person, has grown with it.

I think it's safe to say that Laufey has redefined jazz with this beautiful debut album. She oozes skill and the spirit of a storyteller, embodying the tone of the jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, making empathic, personal songs all the more unique and intimate. Her homages to her predecessors and nods to contemporary works allow the songwriting to embody nostalgia, curiosity, fear for the future, and a sense of peace in the unknown. You can feel that Laufey has genuinely poured her whole being into this album, and considering it is her debut, it is exhilarating to think about what the future holds.

Listen to Everything I Know About Love below: