The Answer Is Always Yes is the third studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Alex Lahey. It was released on 19 May 2023 via Liberation Music, and supported by a North American tour from May to June. It is Lahey's first record to feature external songwriters and co-producers, marking a stylistic departure from her first two albums.[4]
| The Answer Is Always Yes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 May 2023 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 34:53 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Alex Lahey studio album chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Answer Is Always Yes | ||||
| Singles from The Answer Is Always Yes (Expanded Edition) | ||||
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At the 2023 ARIA Music Awards, the album was nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album.[5]
At the AIR Awards of 2024, the album was nominated for Best Independent Rock Album or EP.[6]
Production
editMusic publication Billboard found the album to have an optimistic outlook on life despite its lyricism focusing on some discomforting topics, with Taylor Mims writing "her positivity breaks through with fuzzy guitar riffs, playful pop tunes, angsty post-punk tracks and her ever-present sense of humor".[7] The Answer Is Always Yes is Alex Lahey's first album to feature external collaborators, whom the artist was originally reluctant to introduce, but upon reflection: "I was able to let them do their best work ... and that's why it worked".[7]
Release and promotion
editOn 1 September 2022, lead single "Congratulations" was issued alongside a music video and dates for a regional tour beginning in October 2022. Upon the release, Lahey explained she was "drawn to examine her past relationships, and reckon with the feeling she had when seeing her former partners move on".[8] She also hinted that the single was "the first taste in a long-awaited new chapter".[9] On 11 November, second single "Shit Talkin'" was released.[10] The record was officially announced on 1 February 2023 following the premiere of third single, "Good Time", on Triple J.[11]
Following the release of the album, Lahey embarked on a 23-date North American tour, going from May to June. In August 2023, she commenced a nationwide Australian tour.[12]
On 21 September 2023, Lahey announced an expanded edition of The Answer Is Always Yes, which released on 6 October.[13] A new single, "Newsreader", was issued alongside the news.[14]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Far Out |    [15] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 7/10[16] |
| The Newcastle Herald | [17] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[18] |
John Amen of The Line of Best Fit concluded the album had a "lighter palette" with "sonics relatively subdued, mixes less raucous" compared to her first two records. He concluded that "her melodies are consistently enrolling, and her lyrics [...] are aptly accessible".[16] Writing for Beat Magazine, Bryget Chrisfield said that The Answer Is Always Yes was an "ebullient and infinitely relatable" listen.[19]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Good Time" | Lee | 3:11 | |
| 2. | "Congratulations" |
|
| 2:50 |
| 3. | "You'll Never Get Your Money Back" |
| 3:07 | |
| 4. | "The Sky Is Melting" |
|
| 4:06 |
| 5. | "On the Way Down" |
|
| 3:35 |
| 6. | "Makes Me Sick" |
|
| 4:04 |
| 7. | "Shit Talkin'" |
|
| 3:19 |
| 8. | "Permanent" |
|
| 3:33 |
| 9. | "They Wouldn't Let Me In" |
|
| 2:43 |
| 10. | "The Answer Is Always Yes" |
|
| 4:25 |
| Total length: | 34:53 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" |
|
| 3:12 |
| 12. | "Newsreader" |
|
| 3:39 |
| 13. | "When the Rain Comes Down" |
|
| 3:49 |
| Total length: | 45:40 | |||
Charts
edit| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[20] | 55 |
References
edit- ^ Gallagher, Alex (30 March 2023). "Alex Lahey Shares New Single 'They Wouldn't Let Me In'". Music Feeds. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Alex Lahey shares new single, 'The Sky Is Melting'". Far Out Magazine. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- ^ "Alex Lahey has released her new single, 'On The Way Down'". Upset Magazine. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ Lochrie, Conor (31 January 2023). "Alex Lahey announces third album, The Answer Is Always Yes". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Nominees Announced for 2023 ARIA Awards". Music Feeds. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "2024 AIR Awards Nominees: Genesis Owusu, Cub Sport, RVG, Teen Jesus & More". The Music. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ a b Mims, Taylor (19 May 2023). "Alex Lahey Talks the Hidden Positivity of Her 'The Answer is Always Yes' Album and the Need to 'Find the Zest for Life'". Billboard. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ Robinson, Ellie (31 August 2022). "Alex Lahey returns with confessional new single 'Congratulations', announces national tour". NME. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Deville, Chris (31 August 2022). "Alex Lahey Shares New Song "Congratulations": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Robinson, Ellie (10 November 2022). "Alex Lahey shakes off her worries with catchy new single 'Shit Talking'". NME. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Robinson, Ellie (31 January 2023). "Alex Lahey shares fizzy new single 'Good Time', announces third album 'The Answer Is Always Yes'". NME. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Fry, Courtney (19 May 2023). "Alex Lahey announces dates for 2023 Australian tour". Triple J. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ Lahey, Alex (21 September 2023). "this just in - AL has released a new song called 'Newsreader', taken from The Answer Is Always Yes (Expanded Edition) out October 6. more tunes to come". Retrieved 21 September 2023 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Newsreader – song and lyrics by Alex Lahey". Spotify. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ Starkley, Arun (18 May 2023). "Alex Lahey - 'The Answer Is Always Yes' album review". Far Out. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ a b Amen, John (20 May 2023). "Alex Lahey: The Answer Is Always Yes Review - lighter cathartic palette". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ Leeson, Josh (17 May 2023). "REVIEW: Alex Lahey delves into her own world on The Answer Is Always Yes". The Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ Thomas, Peyton (22 May 2023). "Alex Lahey: The Answer Is Always Yes Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ Chrisfied, Bryget (19 May 2023). "Ebullient and infinitely relatable: Alex Lahey's The Answer Is Always Yes". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ "Farnsie makes it 20". Australian Recording Industry Association. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.