Lande Hekt – Lucky Now

The former Muncie Girls frontwoman returns with her most confident work yet—a jangle-pop masterclass that finds joy without losing its edge.

An albumreview by;Jan Vranken

After spending her first two solo albums excavating trauma with unflinching honesty, Lande Hekt sounds genuinely, refreshingly liberated on *Lucky Now*. The British songwriter’s third full-length since her former band Muncie Girls officially called it quits doesn’t abandon the confessional indie-pop that made 2021’s *Going To Hell* and 2022’s *House Without a View* such gut-punching experiences. Instead, working with producer Matthew Simms (Wire, It Hugs Back), she’s found something harder to capture than pain: contentment that doesn’t feel complacent.

Opening track ‘Kitchen II’ sets the tone immediately—a love song about domestic simplicity that somehow makes sharing morning coffee feel profound. Hekt’s vocals retain that conversational intimacy she’s mastered, but there’s a newfound ease in her delivery, like she’s finally stopped second-guessing herself. When she sings about the mundane rituals of partnership, it’s neither saccharine nor cynical, just beautifully observed.

The album’s sonic palette draws heavily from ’80s jangle-pop architects like The Pastels and The Bats, giving the record a shimmering, tactile quality. ‘Favourite Pair of Shoes’ exemplifies this approach—cascading guitars and relentless momentum recall The Replacements at their most buoyant, while Hekt’s lyrics about crawling out of hopelessness pack a Paul Westerberg-worthy emotional punch. If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by life’s weight then suddenly found the energy to move, this song will hit hard.

But Hekt hasn’t gone soft. ‘Circular’ and ‘A Million Broken Hearts’ prove she hasn’t lost her political bite, taking aim at corrupt power structures with lines like ‘they change the law like it’s a game and we’re the pawns getting played.’ After a period of political disillusionment, her re-engagement feels hard-won and vital. ‘A Million Broken Hearts,’ in particular, channels The Replacements’ raw energy into a rallying cry that ranks among her finest work.

The album’s gentler moments hit just as hard. ‘Middle of the Night,’ a delicate acoustic ballad anchored by strummed guitar and banjo, finds Hekt processing what she describes as ‘being properly happy for the first time in my life.’ It’s the kind of vulnerability that could easily tip into self-indulgence, but her restraint—and Simms’ spare production—keeps it devastatingly effective. Think The Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler channeling genuine wonder rather than melancholy.

‘Rabbits,’ inspired by a summer solstice at Glastonbury Tor, injects hope without veering into naiveté. The jangly guitars and upbeat tempo recall the best of Flying Nun Records’ catalog, while Hekt’s lyrics ground the optimism in hard-earned wisdom. Meanwhile, ‘My Imaginary Friend’ leans deeper into ’80s and ’90s indie-pop textures, proving she can nail the sound without becoming a pastiche.

The album closes with ‘Coming Home,’ a twee-pop gem about returning to her hometown of Exeter after a grueling tour. It’s the perfect bookend to ‘Kitchen II’—both songs celebrating the familiar, the grounding, the real. In an era of relentless anxiety and doomscrolling, Hekt’s willingness to find comfort in the everyday feels quietly radical.

*Lucky Now* doesn’t ignore 2026’s mounting anxieties—that would be dishonest—but it also refuses to be consumed by them. Hekt has crafted a record that acknowledges life’s darkness while actively seeking out light, balancing political fury with domestic tenderness, angst with gratitude. The result is her most mature and relatable work yet, proof that growth doesn’t mean losing your edge.

For fans craving smart, emotionally resonant indie-rock that doesn’t preach or despair, *Lucky Now* delivers. Hekt has quietly become one of the UK underground’s most essential songwriters, and this album cements that status.

**Standout Tracks:** ‘Kitchen II,’ ‘Favourite Pair of Shoes,’ ‘A Million Broken Hearts,’ ‘Middle of the Night,’ ‘Coming Home’

**7.5/10** (Tapete Records)