Navigating your twenties is hard. Even without a pandemic on our hands, we are forced to deal with learning how to take care of ourselves and others. It’s a struggle, full of hardships and heartbreaks alike. At the same time, it can be infinitely rewarding, when you play your cards right. Orla Gartland’s debut album, Woman on the Internet, is a celebration of just that.
The Dublin-born, London based musician found inspiration for the album in her own journey to adulthood, with a little lyrical and musical help from her friends Greta Isaac, Martin Luke Brown, and Nathan Cox. Recorded at Middle Farm Studios, Woman on the Internet is a raw, real, and honest look at the world, and how it can influence how you see yourself.
The album’s name pays homage to the figurative female figure Gartland turns to for comfort and advice. References to her are peppered throughout the album. She shows up in ‘Pretending’ as a social media makeup artist, from whom Gartland learns how to do “smoky brown eyeshadow” to hide her social anxiety at a party. We see her again in ‘More Like You’ as a wellbeing guru preaching self-love to help combat envy.
Released under her own independent label, New Friends Music Ltd, Woman on the Internet is an 11-track album full of surprises. Gartland’s unique style and vocal prowess shines through in tracks such as ‘You’re Not Special, Babe’, where she earnestly tells listeners to lighten up; everyone struggles, so one may as well have a good time.
Each song reflects the different facets of growing up: from dealing with relationships ending in ‘Left Behind’, setting boundaries in ‘Do You Mind?’, and growing out of the family you once knew in ‘Bloodline/Difficult Things’. Every track has its own distinct sound and production; in listening to the album, you are taken on an emotional rollercoaster much like the one you face while learning how to navigate the intricacies of the real world.
Overall, this album is a perfect ‘welcome to your twenties’ gift. Gartland never claims to have all the answers; she merely wants to share her experience. In fact, she asserts, “There’s no manual, and if there is, I haven’t read it” in the opening track, ‘Things That I’ve Learned’. It is a welcome reminder to take things one step at a time, and ride into the sunset. Or crawl. Either way, you’ll get there. And she’s right there alongside us.
Rating: 5/5
