Irish singer-songwriter Orla Gartland returns with the angsty, indie-rock elements she has become known for in her sophomore album, “Everybody Needs a Hero,” released on Oct. 4.
Gartland’s earlier projects touch on a variety of topics, ranging from the capriciousness and anxieties of a failed relationship in her single “Did it To Myself” to the complex family dynamics and childhood religious guilt illustrated in “Oh GOD,” which appeared on her EP “Freckle Season.” The Dublin-based musician’s global fan base exponentially increased with the feature of her 2020 song “Why Am I Like This?” in the first season of Netflix’s LGBTQ coming-of-age series, “Heartstopper.”
“Everybody Needs A Hero” is sure to exceed the high expectations that long-time fans of Gartland’s music might have. What particularly stands out among the snappy rock guitar instrumentals and 80s-era synths featured in the album are the mature, captivating and simultaneously youthful lyrics woven throughout the track list.
Gartland opens the album with “Both Can Be True,” where she immediately brings us into the messy, emotional world of finding yourself in your late twenties, singing, “I thought I knew it all, I had the nerve / To feel so high above the learning curve.” She intertwines similar revelations with playful, talky vocals in songs such as “Backseat Driver,” allowing listeners to embrace their own messy emotions in a way that feels both empowering and personal. The album also contains numerous comedic elements, with Gartland joking, “I gave you your favourite T-shirt / She gave you your trust issues” in “Late To The Party (feat. Declan McKenna)” while addressing the complex feelings that one may experience when acknowledging the existence of their partner’s past relationships.
Along with these comedic elements, the album illustrates Gartland’s unique ability to capture an immense spectrum of human experiences and their respective emotions. She ponders the simple moments of joy that we often neglect in our day-to-day lives, claiming that love isn’t always something big, but rather “It’s like a long flight, but with good food / It’s the right song for the right mood,” in “Simple.”
In “Mine,” which recalls an experience of sexual assault, Gartland pairs a haunting, acoustic score with devastating lyrics, singing, “It’s taken me twenty-eight years / To let anyone touch me the way / I let you.” Later in the piece, she delivers additional gut-wrenching, evocative lines, following the above lyrics with “I still remember the time / You looked me dead in the eyes / And I realised my body was mine.”
Throughout “Everybody Needs a Hero,” Gartland beautifully illustrates the processes of finding independence and navigating relationships in one’s late twenties, all while embracing the messiness of one’s own complexities and individuality. With a mixture of both angsty rock instrumentals and soul-stirring acoustic lyrics, “Everybody Needs a Hero” is truly an album to be spotlighted and remembered this year.
