After a smattering of stellar singles, Sinead O’Brien has joined forces with Speedy Wunderground kingpin Dan Carey to produce one of the most unique releases this year. Sinead has a singular ability to lyrically cross-examine the human condition, whether it be our mercurial desires or the pressures of modern living. “The City in the summer is like a machine,” she muses. Indeed, there is something pleasingly mechanical about this whole affair. Each song slots together like the well-oiled gears of some great carousel. Spoken word and hypnotic post-punk rhythms fuse into an intricately choreographed waltz. It’s often starkly cold, yet refreshingly truthful throughout. Sinead and the listener coexist in a sort of shared detachment, restlessly examining the duality of the world around them. There’s more hidden within her lyrical enigma than one listen can decipher; we’re confident it’s worth the effort.