With her debut album slated for release later this year, Orla Gartland is ready to get vulnerable, angsty, emotional, and playful as she acquaints herself with a growing platform of listeners. Her evolving discography is full of intimate unravellings like ‘More Like You’ as well as the honest quirkiness of ‘If I Go Crazy’, and her new single ‘Zombie!’ perfectly slides right in there.
The Dublin native and London based singer-songwriter explores being in a relationship with someone who always buries their feelings and never lets them bubble over. It may result in a direct bluntness, or a removed emotion from moments where you wish they’d just give into how they’re really feeling and let it out. “All of this rage in your hands. Passed on down from your old man, and now somehow it’s my fault” she honestly sings as she explains the impact their reactions has on her.
Turning this some-what sad reflection of a relationship with someone who can’t open up into a catchy singalong, the hook will immediately be stuck in your head after the first listen.“When all of your body’s burning up. You live like a zombie, turn it off, push it down” she sings. The production is contrasted with the use of light and punchy moments to resemble the erratic emotions that are being suppressed. It’s a really playful embodiment of this storyline and sonically is reminiscent of Kate Nash and Megan Washington. And then at the end she even unleashes a scream which resembles the emotions finally being let out.
‘Zombie!’ is a bright and punchy showcase of what we can expect from Orla Gartland’s debut album when it’s finally dropped later this year. But in the meantime, get ready to add this track to your head rotation playlists!