I just don’t understand it. How is it that someone so young can write music that sounds so tired and world weary as if they’ve lived and worked so much? Instinctively I would say it’s just teenage angst, but this goes far beyond just someone who’s unhappy that they have to go to secondary school. The spirit of the sound is far too deep for that.

That’s not to say it is a bad album; in fact it’s the complete and utter opposite. It’s about time something like this came from the Irish music scene; something ethereal, melancholic and quiet. And the songwriter hails from a country with a small goth scene and as a result she didn’t get involved in a music scene that would cripple her career forever. Not that it isn’t easy to describe Ms. Sheeran’s work without using a four letter g-word, but because she never hit the goth scene as a musician she’s free to market her wares to a much, much, much wider audience. And this is best for everyone involved as it would be nothing short of a tragedy if such a talented artist was overlooked and forgotten about due to some associations with an unpopular and misunderstood genre.

“Walk Out With Me” opens with a cold lonely front pleading for a lover’s company. “Sally Please Don’t Go” twinkles away on the ukulele and the cymbals over a rich sombre tone. “An Apple For You” whispers lightly and enticingly into your ear as suits a song about a seduction attempt. “I’m Sorry Son” is a calm, homely song with more ukulele with some more classical strings and synths to round off the song, only to break out the accordion (a rarity in modern indie music) and put on the infamous bowstring-on-saw that Laura uses to make music, adding a nice Industrial touch to the whole process. “Lullaby for a Space Cowboy” is a sleepy song for someone who is probably the epitome of a person who lives in night and solitude (I mean, how can you tell what time of the day it is by looking out the window in space?).

“The Fresh Blood” is a standout track, bringing drumming heavier then before that decides to go with some full on Angsty Goth Poetry for lyrics for a spirit that holds all in disdain while holding back the tears of sorrow and self loathing. “Socrates and Red Wine” is a much better educated and honed then it’s predecessors, like a classically trained Eton boy in college in the midst of Arts students, bubbling away with big concepts and ideas. “It’s Been A Long Day” beckons to you to sleep deeply in a loved one’s arms after a hard day’s graft. “Take Me Where She Sleeps” creaks mournfully and then moves to a misty shore with more ukulele (You have aspirations to become the next Amanda Palmer, don’t you Laura?) only to cry out into the fog railing against the injustice of life and other people. “Lust of Pig” walks and talks like the crossbreed of Jazz and Industrial, almost like it’s the end result of a post- modern beatnik experiment.
“A Wake” has pop aggression and rebel spirit beating close to its heart while wearing Trip-Hop like a veil. This flows into “Computer Receive” which goes in with a proper attitude and show us that sissy ethereal stuff can also rock like some of the big boys without looking like it caved into peer pressure. “Sleep Fucking” (Language!) is an ambient piece that really captures the spirit of the album and Laura’s work, being subdued and ruminating over the sorrows of life with an experimental edge that reminded me of Jarboe’s work. “To Carry My Bones” lolls about looking for a place to sleep in peace to escape the terror of the waking moment that has beaten, bent and broken a human spirit. An excellent, and rather goth, way to end an album.

It looks like Laura is already on her way to becoming Ireland’s answer to Zola Jesus or Soap & Skin, having surpassed many of who could be recognised as her genre peers (Think Ethereal bands that you’d find on the likes of Projekt Records) in terms of recognition beyond the obvious black clad music lover, even going so far as to get a write up in The Sunday Times. This album demonstrates why she’s making the tracks that she is, using a multi layered sound to create a soundscape so rich that you could easily drown yourself in it as it massages you under its gentle, soothing waves.