Even before this debut release appeared on streaming services, Irish singer songwriter Sadhbh Keane had been hotly tipped as a “rising star”. The young singer songwriter’s early singles made it clear why: although still in her teens, Sadhbh (pronounced “Sive”) had already shown a gift for a strong melody and an honest yet accessible lyric. Those earlier singles make a welcome re-appearance on this seven song EP, but as the best material on ‘Anam’ shows, there’s even more at stake musically with Keane mixing indie, pop and rock with her Irish roots to create something that’s really rewarding.
Everything kicks off in a slightly aggressive fashion with ‘A chuisle, a chroí’, a number that throws itself head first into the retro sounds of 90s indie rock. A huge, swirling rhythm guitar part more than tips the hat to classic shoegaze fare, and by contrasting that with some surprisingly old school lead guitar work, Keane sets a brilliant contrast in place. With the aid of a crashing drum part, and latterly, some spacious basslines, it’s a track that works the whole band hard, providing a lot of entertainment even before taking the vocal into consideration. And that eclipses everything, with a wonderfully clear and slightly breathy tone that packs in a lot of emotion as Sadhbh sings of a situation where the room feels “explosive” and she finds herself with a “breaking heart that locks”. The push and pull between anger and sadness here is somewhat unsettling, but in the best possible way. In terms of openers, this has it all – a great arrangement, a heartfelt vocal, and a simple but effective hook that even works for those not interested in its Gaelic translation. In a fraction under four minutes, Keane introduces herself – and this EP – with a superb confidence.
Sporting an angry title, but boasting some really cool and melodic indie rock melodies, ‘Hate Me Now’ instantly sets up another wonderful juxtaposition. The performer has coupled the self-doubt of an honest lyric with a really uplifting melody, where huge, jangling guitars capture a perfect indie sound, and roaring lead guitars lift everything further with a jubilant sound, cutting through everything with ease. The music, capturing some of the more uptempo elements of Sam Fender’s work, has a genuine spark, but it’s Sadhbh’s vocal that really sells the track once more, allowing a mix of power and vulnerability to come together in a way that captures the turmoil of those teenage years.
After a couple of fairly explosive tracks, first impressions suggest that things appear to de-escalate for the seemingly quieter ‘Hot Seat’. Featuring an aching vocal against a stripped back, semi-acoustic arrangement at first, Sadhbh allows a great melody to breathe. The addition of piano brings a great richness, before an ascending melody gives an already enjoyable number a simple but very effective musical hook. The more relaxed approach to the music, naturally, makes a pointed lyric feel even more alarming as the singer songwriter explores a “nightmare from the past”, visions of a “sick and twisted sociopath”, and uses a metaphor of walking on broken glass to further highlight the pain within such a stark and honest performance. The quieter musical stance doesn’t hold forever: eventually the band hit full on rock mode, and by the time the lyrical content gathers speed to squeeze in more observations and a howling lead guitar echoes the pain within the narrative, Keane really puts the audience through their paces. This is so alarming, it should feel like something that the listener shouldn’t eavesdrop upon, or even find upsetting. It’s to Sadhbh’s credit that her superb vocal and strong presence makes it feel, not only less of an endurance, but all rather impressive. For those who are always impressed when singer songwriters lay their souls bare and use their talents and platform to exorcise demons, this track will likely eclipse many of the others here.
Another of this EP’s definite highlights comes courtesy of ‘Signals’. Opening with distant acoustic sounds, Sadhbh allows her aching voice to take centre stage at first, making no secret of this track’s more laid back feel, then by moving into a waltzing rhythm, she allows the music to guide more of a vocal cry. At this point, ‘Signals’ becomes the kind of heartfelt performance that’ll win over audiences, even though the vocal will actually become even more emotive as things move on. The voice is the biggest draw here, since the singer delivers a huge performance that’s unafraid of sharing emotion, but the use of slightly distorted guitar chops – inviting unexpected comparisons with Neil Young circa ‘Sleeps With Angels’ – bring an almost cinematic feel to the track that will leave almost as much of a lasting impression.
Creating a terrific balance with the rock tracks, the semi-acoustic ‘Take The Hits’ mixes adult pop and folk with a light Americana-ish undercurrent. It has a lovely sound, creating a smart contrast with ‘Hot Seat’ and ‘Hate Me Now’. The music might be softer, but Keane’s lyrics continue to bite, as she recalls childhood teasing, Catholic guilt, crying herself to sleep, and explores themes of body dysmorphia and pushing people away. “How does anybody deal with me?” she even asks at the number’s climax, taking a world of hurt to a new level. Much like ‘Hot Seat’, this should feel too raw for the outsider, but another great arrangement takes Sadhbh’s inner pain and shapes it into something that on the surface sounds very appealing. Switching to piano, ‘All Out of Time’ ventures even further into the realms of adult pop, occasionally sounding like Sarah Barailles in a reflective mood. Musically, everything feels quite removed from the bulk of the EP, but an already distinctive vocal provides a strong continuity, and hearing Sadhbh in full cry provides another melodic treat.
Rounding out this seven song journey, the stripped down ‘Birthday Song’ features vocal and solo electric guitar at first, peppered by steel guitar sounds for extra atmosphere. Bringing in the bass and drums for the second verse adds body to a still relaxed arrangement where a reflective melody is a perfect fit with another questioning lyric. As with ‘All Out of Time’, this should really appeal to those who’ve latched onto Keane’s very natural sounding vocal. It’s a world away from the rockier tracks on a musical level, but the shift into something a little rootsy with echoes of Wilco and The Jayhawks blending with an indie-Americana tone feels surprisingly natural.
In the artist’s own words, the soul “…makes no sense; it can be beautiful and bad. We can’t see it, but we all understand.” In terms of soul bearing, ‘Anam’ really doesn’t hold back, and for those who aren’t afraid of more than a little honesty coupling some absolutely stellar arrangements, this EP should be considered a must-hear. Although the pre-release singles suggested this would be strong, a couple of the deeper cuts immediately outshine those already more familiar tracks. In terms of debuts, this is stunning. ‘Anam’ is heartfelt, honest, occasionally even upsetting, but stunning, none the less.
October 2026