Album Review: Orla Gartland, Everybody Needs A Hero

Orla Gartland is a phenomenon. A self-made YouTuber – one of the first in Ireland – she was headlining the Academy in Dublin at the age of just 17. If it seemed like a grind at times to get from there to releasing her debut album, it wasn’t for want of writing a basketful of excellent songs, released via a series of singles and EPs – one self-deprecatingly titled Freckle Season.

When she did finally release Woman On The Internet in 2021, it reflected her true artistic standing, hitting No.3 in Ireland and No.10 in the UK. If that was a coming-of-age soundtrack, boasting a messy, twenty-something relatability, then Orla – now 29 – is coming-out-of-age on her sophomore release, Everybody Needs A Hero. Released, like Woman On The Internet, on the Dublin singer’s own label New Friends, the record finds Gartland full of questions – such as, what makes a hero? Is it someone to look up to – or merely someone who’s a distraction from one’s own failings?

Gartland manages to traverse emotionally difficult terrain with an infectious sense of fun, replete with clever quips and electric energy. Groovy production and gritty basslines lend an edgy, alt-pop flavour to Gartland’s razorsharp-yet-self-critical lyricism, on tracks like ‘Backseat Driver’ and ‘Kiss Ur Face Forever’.

‘Three Words Away’ sounds like an agitated mind, courtesy of the tight, bass-heavy tension and jumpy vocals. As bold as the emotions are on the record, Gartland’s lyrics are equally upfront. “If I’m your everything, who am I?” she asks on ‘Who Am I?’, one of the album’s more reflective tunes.

On the closing title track – the longest song on the record – Gartland neatly summarises the album’s big themes. Indeed, with its crunching distortion and powerful vocals, ‘Everybody Needs A Hero’ gives the record the stirring ending it deserves.

9/10