The Answer Is Always Yes

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For the Michelle Wright song, see The Answer Is Yes.

The Answer Is Always Yes
A photograph of Alex Lahey with her head tilted back, eyes closed and mouth open in front of cars on a highway
Studio album by
Alex Lahey
Released19 May 2023
GenreIndie rock
Length34:53
Label
Alex Lahey studio album chronology
The Best of Luck Club
(2019) 		The Answer Is Always Yes
(2023)
Singles from The Answer Is Always Yes
  1. "Congratulations"
    Released: 1 September 2022
  2. "Shit Talkin'"
    Released: 11 November 2022
  3. "Good Time"
    Released: 31 January 2023
  4. "They Wouldn't Let Me In"
    Released: 31 March 2023[1]
  5. "The Sky Is Melting"
    Released: 5 May 2023[2]
  6. "On the Way Down"
    Released: 19 May 2023[3]
Singles from The Answer Is Always Yes (Expanded Edition)
  1. "Newsreader"
    Released: 21 September 2023
  2. "When the Rain Comes Down"
    Released: 6 October 2023

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]

At the 2023 ARIA Music Awards, the album was nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album.[5]

Production[edit]

Music 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".[6] 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".[6]

Release and promotion[edit]

On 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".[7] She also hinted that the single was "the first taste in a long-awaited new chapter".[8] On 11 November, second single "Shit Talkin'" was released.[9] The record was officially announced on 1 February 2023 following the premiere of third single, "Good Time", on Triple J.[10]

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.[11]

On 21 September 2023, Lahey announced an expanded edition of The Answer Is Always Yes, which released on 6 October.[12] A new single, "Newsreader", was issued alongside the news.[13]

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Far Out[14]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[15]
The Newcastle Herald[16]
Pitchfork7.5/10[17]

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".[15] Writing for Beat Magazine, Bryget Chrisfield said that The Answer Is Always Yes was an "ebullient and infinitely relatable" listen.[18]

Track listing[edit]

Standard edition track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Good Time"
Lee3:11
2."Congratulations"
  • Lahey
  • Bradley Hale
  • Lahey
  • John Castle
2:50
3."You'll Never Get Your Money Back"
  • Lahey
  • Castle
3:07
4."The Sky Is Melting"
  • Lahey
  • Dawson
4:06
5."On the Way Down"
  • Lahey
  • Dawson
  • Lahey
  • Dawson
3:35
6."Makes Me Sick"
  • Lahey
  • Sean Kennedy
  • Lahey
  • Dawson
4:04
7."Shit Talkin'"
  • Lahey
  • Castle
3:19
8."Permanent"
  • Lahey
  • Castle
3:33
9."They Wouldn't Let Me In"
  • Lahey
  • Chris Collins
  • Lahey
  • Collins
2:43
10."The Answer Is Always Yes"
  • Lahey
  • Jonny Shorr
  • Lahey
  • Dawson
4:25
Total length:34:53
Expanded edition track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
11."It Doesn't Matter Anymore"
3:12
12."Newsreader"
  • Lahey
  • Hutson
  • Youngs
  • Lahey
  • Castle
3:39
13."When the Rain Comes Down"
  • Lahey
  • Youngs
  • Abbott
  • Lahey
  • Castle
3:49
Total length:45:40

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for The Answer Is Always Yes
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[19] 55

References[edit]

  1. ^ Gallagher, Alex (30 March 2023). "Alex Lahey Shares New Single 'They Wouldn't Let Me In'". Music Feeds. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Alex Lahey shares new single, 'The Sky Is Melting'". Far Out Magazine. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  3. ^ "Alex Lahey has released her new single, 'On The Way Down'". Upset Magazine. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  4. ^ Lochrie, Conor (31 January 2023). "Alex Lahey announces third album, The Answer Is Always Yes". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Nominees Announced for 2023 ARIA Awards". Music Feeds. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Robinson, Ellie (31 August 2022). "Alex Lahey returns with confessional new single 'Congratulations', announces national tour". NME. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  8. ^ Deville, Chris (31 August 2022). "Alex Lahey Shares New Song "Congratulations": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  9. ^ Robinson, Ellie (10 November 2022). "Alex Lahey shakes off her worries with catchy new single 'Shit Talking'". NME. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Fry, Courtney (19 May 2023). "Alex Lahey announces dates for 2023 Australian tour". Triple J. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Newsreader – song and lyrics by Alex Lahey". Spotify. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  14. ^ Starkley, Arun (18 May 2023). "Alex Lahey - 'The Answer Is Always Yes' album review". Far Out. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ Thomas, Peyton (22 May 2023). "Alex Lahey: The Answer Is Always Yes Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  18. ^ Chrisfied, Bryget (19 May 2023). "Ebullient and infinitely relatable: Alex Lahey's The Answer Is Always Yes". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Farnsie makes it 20". Australian Recording Industry Association. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
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