Live Review: Alex Lahey, Press Club, Angie McMahon

Described later on in the night by Alex Lahey as "Melbourne's Celine Dion", Angie McMahon opens the show. At first listen, though, her tone feels more like that of American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple.

All three of this evening's acts are from Melbourne and next up are Press Club. They come out, instruments blazing and play teen-angst pop punk that could be the soundtrack to '90s skateboard videos or video games like Road Rash. Their set sticks with a desire to have lead singer Natalie Foster's vocal supported by a thrashy guitar wall, something much more akin to American pop punk than the sort of punk that they might hear coming out of their neighbourhood scene of late. The crowd enjoys the show and the hype-up for what's next.

Alex Lahey appears to hearty applause. Her backdrop is a sheet with her name on it alongside drawings of beer cans and pizza. As Lahey explains with genuine gratitude, it's their first show back in Melbourne, they are very happy to be home and also her first album I Love You Like A Brother was released last week and reached #15 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Opening track Every Day's The Weekend sets the tone and the lyrics state, straight-up: "Fuck work, you're here/Every day's the weekend/Monday, Tuesday/Every day's the weekend." Lahey's lyrics are completely literal, which is probably why she is so very popular.

Tonight's show was added after tomorrow night's show sold out. The next song is about Wes Anderson, then there's a song about being dumped in Perth, then L-L-L-Leave Me Alone, which is a highlight because, in keeping with literal lyricism, it's about telling someone who is being creepy to fuck off. Lahey tells us Awkward Exchange is "about when you think you're over someone but you're not" and then there's Ivy League from her B-Grade University EP, which Lahey dedicates "to all the undergraduate arts students in the crowd". The crowd reaction suggests there are many. 

Playing the title track from her debut album, which is literally about her younger brother and the fact that they're brother and sister, reinforces what is so appealing about Lahey. Apart from the band's polished live set and catchy guitar hooks, Lahey delivers her lyrics with solid tone and genuine feel. The crowd is instantly in agreement with whatever she sings. The songs are not written to isolate or confront (except the one that talks about thinking that life is over at 33, which makes the five percent of us who are over the age of 25 squirm). Lahey's rousing triple j Like A Version cover of Natalie Imbruglia's Torn turns into an all-in singalong. 

Lahey now takes the stage solo for the first time/first song of the encore. There's No Money is a lovely Springsteen-esque leveller, which offers the beautiful phrase: "'Cause time moves slowly/When there's no money." Her band then come back on stage and close out the night with two hit singles, the first of which, Let's Go Out, is popular on Melbourne local radio and got us here is the first place. All the best to Lahey as her world tour awaits.