What modern music is often lacking is an artist of pure originality, and the industry has found that
originality.
Laufey Lin released her debut ep “Typical of Me” on April 30.
The Icelandic cellist and singer/songwriter has already had years of musical experience, from performing with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra to reaching the finals in Iceland’s Got Talent.
These talents have led her to receiving a Presidential scholarship to Berklee College of Music where she has attended the last three years. Many of the songs in “Typical of Me” were written in her dorm room.
Laufey gained recognition over social media with a number of jazz standard covers and original songs where she had a soft yet powerful sound reminiscent of early jazz pioneers, yet still unlike any other artist.
“Typical of Me” showcases this uniqueness.
The opening track of the album, “Street by Street,” is about her taking back the city of Boston after getting through a guy.
Her unique voice is immediately heard through this first track, with beats in the background that compliment her singing.
“Step by Step brick by brick I’m reclaiming what’s mine, this city is way too small to give away to just one guy” show her drive to not let her views of this person change keep her away from the city she loves.
The following song “Magnolia” is a beautiful ballad describing a girl unlike any one else.
Laufey in the lyrics describes Magnolia as the “prettiest girl that I know, stars in her eyes handpicked from the skies, beautiful soul.”
With soothing strings and Laufey’s dreamlike vocals, this song is just as lovely as the person it is describing.
“Like the Movies” opens with 40s jazz-style piano and horns, further showing similarities to the type of music that first inspired her.
This song tells of her want to have a love ‘like the movies’ and the struggles she has had to find that.
Fans of her unique, melodious covers of jazz standards can appreciate the next song, “I Wish You Love.”
Though her acoustic version of the song, which she uploaded to YouTube, seemed like it couldn’t get any better, this album version adds her backing vocals, which further show off her elegant delivery.
“James” covers the topic of a guy who seemed great at first but turned out to be awful. Laufey takes you through a story of meeting James, then going a date with him and finding out what type of guy he really was.
“But James just thought it was alright to go ahead and talk about himself all night; then he really felt he had to say that he’d be a millionaire one day” show her frustration at this realization.
Even with her disheartened lyrics, she sings in a soft, calming tone throughout, with a very catchy chorus.
“Someone New” tells of her fear of never finding that new person to love.
Lyrics like “I overthink, I scared you off, my spiral begins, right on cue. I wonder if I’ll ever find someone new,” show her self-consciousness and worries in a raw, powerful way.
The album closes with the fun track “Best Friends” which Laufey wrote about her twin sister Junia.
The tongue-in-cheek mention of arguing about what to watch on tv and making fun of Junia’s hair are followed by comforting lyrics that truly show her love for her sister.
This theme can be appreciated through the lyrics “It’s funny ’cause you drive me half insane, a universe without you would be thoroughly mundane; there’s no one else I’d rather fall in love with and that is my best friend in the world.”
Her scat singing featured in this song is also an old school jazz technique hard to pull off, yet she does it effortlessly.
