Album Review: Woman on the Internet by Orla Gartland
Woman on the Internet
Orla Gartland
New Friends Music
Score: A
As a 20-something myself, I found Orla Gartland’s debut album Woman On The Internet to be incredibly relatable. Don’t be fooled by the buoyancy of the upbeat melodies of this indie dream album. Songs like “More Like You,” “Zombie!,” “Codependency” and “Pretending” will get you bobbing your head to the funky looped drum pad and electric guitar complementing the lyrics of self-doubt, uncertainty and anxiety. While some songs like “Madison” possess a melodic guitar strum pattern accompanied with lyrics that reveal her struggles while attending therapy. Personally, I did not catch onto this until the second time around but that’s the thing with Woman On The Internet — you’re bound to find something new with each listen.
Most individuals use their 20s to find themselves, take risks and make inevitable mistakes. I would highly recommend fans of Pheobe Bridgers and Faye Webster to listen to this album. Garland is able to capture feelings of being vulnerable and execute them in a way that let others know that you’re not alone — after all, “there’s no manual/ and if there is I haven’t read it,” she sings in “These are the things that I’ve learned.” This is just the beginning for Gartland, if these 10 tracks are an indication of what’s to come we can expect great things as she continues to evolve in her career. Undoubtedly she will become the next big indie girl in the next few years.
— Astrid Cunanan
