Alex Lahey Is More Confident Than Ever on ‘The Best of Luck Club’

A good dive bar is a mostly universal concept. First off, it’s unassuming. You have to take it as it is. There might be some patches on the walls, and there is normally some senseless trash hung around. The aesthetic is either cringy or barren, with no in-between. Most importantly, there are people. The only thing they have in common is their location. Look on the ground. The cowboy boots mingle with the converse and the work boots. It can be a place to hide or a place to be seen. It’s all about what you’re looking for.

When Australian indie rocker, Alex Lahey, was visiting Tennessee to record her sophomore record, The Best of Luck Club, she didn’t know what she was looking for when she walked into some of Nashville’s infamous dive bars. What she found was comfort.

Alex Lahey only has one other full-length on her record, 2017’s I Love You Like a Brother. It was a red carpet entrance into guitar-led indie rock. The songs come at you like a runaway van and throw sick riffs and melodies in your yard as they burn out down the avenue. Songs like “Everyday’s the Weekend”, “I Haven’t Been Taking Care of Myself”, “Let’s Call It a Day” stand tall and strong on the mountain of fussy indie rock. Lahey tackles all the daily struggles of a hopeless 20-something, all while slinging earworms at us at a furious pace. It’s a great record and would be a great summer record for the as yet uninitiated.

The Best of Luck Club, is a definite step up for Lahey. Initially, it may seem like a lateral move, as it’s a lot like I Love You Like a Brother. The themes are similar: relationship troubles, self-care, and a heavy dose of heart moves. The structures are fairly similar, as well. The growth shows itself in the details.

“Unspoken History” is a ballad built like a brick wall. I Love You Like a Brother was moving too fast to slow down and shimmer with beauty. On “Unspoken History” she does just this. Later, on “Isabella”, Lahey shows us another new side of her songwriting: the bouncy inconsequential pop song. While it may not last all summer long on your playlist, “Isabella” is a song worthy of a few smiles. Most importantly, this record absolutely glows with confidence. A riff like that of “Misery Guts” cannot be played sheepishly, that’s for sure.

And as far as confidence is concerned, that’s where the title, The Best of Luck Club comes from. While meandering through the streets of Nashville, Lahey slid into a couple of dives, and what she loved the most were the words of comfort given on the way out the door after a stimulating conversation: “Best of luck.” She felt comfort from the comradery, and it shows in her confidence on this record. Let’s thank the bars of Nashville for this one, folks.