Om Makwana, ‘ommak’ on Spotify, you have redeemed yourself after a disastrous prior recommendation. I’ll admit, I went in with some hesitancy as Overexposed was truly dull but this one surpassed all my expectations, even topping the album that I had awarded the top spot to. Here’s Bewitched.
(Album cover on the right)
On her Spotify bio, Laufey (pronounced lay-vay) writes that “as a musician, my goal is to bring jazz and classical music to my generation.” And she does this perfectly.
The daughter of a classical violinist, Laufey grew up learning how to play the cello and the piano, instrumentation that has influenced her current music heavily. 
Her powerful, deep register takes hold of the listener’s ears, captivating them from the very start with track 1 “Dreamer”.
Immediately, the listener is transported back a hundred years to the golden days of jazz, and the urge to tap your foot and bop your head is simply irresistible. The song is about the dullness of meaningless dates, characterized by the lines “Oh, I’m giving up / I’m throwing in my hat / I can’t take another lifeless little chat”. The upbeat bass and guitar support her wide range while the subtle snare drum helps punctuate her punchy lines.
(Lin Wei, Laufey’s mom, on the left)
The album goes through the ups and downs of romance, detailing the uncontrollable happiness of finding a flame (Track 4, “Must Be Love”) as well as the intense disappointment of realizing that those feelings don’t always run both ways, or at least with the same intensity (Track 2 and 7, “Haunted” and “California and Me”). These heavy topics are made even stronger with Laufey’s raw musical talent, making it impossible to not feel her joy and sorrow.
Her most popular song, Track 10 “From The Start”, has an unbelievably catchy bossa nova beat on top of which she laments about having to listen to her love talk about some other girl. Despite this predicament, the song is fast and bright unlike the slow and somber “Misty” where the harsh realities of unrequited love are displayed.
My favorite part of Bewitched is during “From The Start” where Laufey starts to scat as a brief interlude. This short segment immediately was reminiscent of “The Girl From Ipanema” and I was more than pleasantly surprised when I heard it.
This album is made for vinyl and I highly recommend you to spend some time this weekend becoming bewitched with Bewitched where you’ll fall in love and break your heart in just under an hour.
I can tell that you really enjoyed Ommak’s new album, and I definitely think that I would too. With a mix of classical jazz and modern, catchy lyrics, it is definitely a diverse album. For any album, having some contrast between tracks is vital and I think that Ommakk executed this perfectly. Overall, I think this album is very unique and hosts some creative features that can captivate many listeners. But will she ever beat this album in the future or will this be her best piece?
Hey there Vishnu,
What a turn in genres!
I can’t say I ever heard about Laufey, but reading the post has made me reconsider looking into classical music. If what you say is true, the blend between genres has made it so that it is easier for us as a youth to take into account a very overlooked style of music. But, out of jest, are you sure that it takes your top spot? You know that last post of yours was very, very insightful 🙂
I have utmost respect for anyone who can make jazz as popular as Laufey does. I am amazed by every single one of her songs, and I don’t find myself skipping ANYTHING. She is slowly becoming my favorite artist of all time, and I REALLY hope I’ll be able to see her with the LIVE SYMPHONY this summer!
Vishnu!! I am so glad I have redeemed myself with this album. I currently have this album on repeat because it is so good. I have also been listening to Laufey’s older album from 2022. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you definitely should. My favorite song from that album is Falling Behind. You did a great job explain this album in detail, and I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. You should go to her concert in Pittsburgh!