Image courtesy of Spotify
Laufey, a jazz-pop singer songwriter, always feels like the perfect artist to soundtrack the start of a school year. Her latest album, “A Matter of Time,” released this past August, is no exception. Her calming beats and dreamy lyrics are just what I need to get in the mood for a busy Fall Quarter.
The album’s opening track and this week’s Song Pick, “Clockwork,” ushers in those oh-so-familiar routines of analyzing syllabus after syllabus, catching up with friends I haven’t seen in months, and searching for just the right snack to fuel my ambitiously-packed schedule. With a repetitive “ding, dong” motif punctuating the two-and-a-half minute track throughout, the sonic landscape in “Clockwork” emanates a buzzy energy that reflects, for Laufey, a budding love for a close friend, and for me, my optimism for the new quarter ahead.
The song’s lyrics follow the stream of thoughts bouncing around the musician’s mind as her romantic feelings grow: “I know I’m dramatic, but I caved in at his touch / I want him forever, oh, my God, I’ve said too much.” Laufey calls her head “a wild place” and croons that “nothing brings me fear like meeting with my destiny.” Her signature introspective lyrics tell a touching story of love and the anxieties that often accompany it — much akin to the blend of feelings I typically feel at the start of a new school year.
As for me? I’m going to keep “Clockwork” on repeat to help calm my “wild place” as I deal with the hectic days ahead.
Listen to the rest of the playlist here!