Recommended Tracks: “Ankles,” “Talk,” “Forever is a Feeling”
Artists You May Like: Phoebe Bridgers, Ethel Cain, Noah Kahan
Romanticism is interlaced across every detail of Forever is a Feeling. Lured in by the stunning Renaissance-painting style album artwork, string-overture “Calliope Prelude” is the sonic blossoming of the vision of this world that Lucy Dacus has created on the album. As Dacus enters this soft, luminescent world herself, acoustic-backed “Big Deal” exemplifies her lyrical prowess and sonic commitment to sounding like a wide-open field during a multi-colored sunset. Grappling with the fragility and weight of falling in love, she sings, “Not even wishing it was me and you / So what changes if anything? / Maybe everything can stay the same / But if we never talk about it again / There’s something I want you to understand / You’re a big deal.” The atmospheric reverb on the outro leaves a lingering sense of longing before Dacus draws back into a world of intimacy.
The pairing of pre-released singles “Ankles” and “Limerance” tap into violin instrumentation paired with Dacus’s soft-rock expertise to illustrate the duality and fragility of letting others touch your heart. “Ankles” dances on the softer side of affection, as Lucy sings, “Baby, I want you to show me what you need / Then help me with the crossword in the morning / You are gonna make me tea / Ask me how did I sleep.” “Limerance” ushers in a darker tone, backed in renaissance-like piano scales and dissonant strings, carrying a reminder that an open heart can often become an open wound: “I’m thinking about breaking your heart someday soon / And if I do, I’ll be breaking mine, too.”
“Modigliani” features an ethereal pairing of rhythm synth with strings, sonically illustrating the uncertainty of navigating new love. Dacus sings, “You make me homesick for places I’ve never been to before / How’d you do that? / How’s tomorrow so far?,” capturing the complexities of newfound love. “Talk” brings in a kick of drums paired with Dacus’s melancholy vocals, soaring through the soft-rock expectations of the album. Lines like, “I could not love you the same way / two days in a row” are a double-edged sword, balancing self-deprecation and self-doubt on a thin blade.
In the title track, Dacus blends modern production with classical instrumentation seamlessly, capturing the fluidity of love as it crescendos and decrescendos with the ease and speed of the love Dacus sings of: “Isn’t that what love’s about? / Doing whatever to draw it out? / This is bliss / this is hell / forever is a feeling and I know it well.” Dacus is never more vocally sensational than in the playful “Come Out,” which dances through harp instrumentation and childlike romanticism with lyrics like, “I hike up a hill where they say there’s a hill / ‘Cause the sky around five might remind me of you.”
“Bullseye” is another example of Dacus’s masterful attention to detail, making her personal experience of falling out of love feel universally understood. She interweaves references to emotionally stirring imagery, from feeling like a fool for putting a love lock on a bridge to packing up for a move and finding an exes things interspersed in your own belongings. Lyrics like, “It was young love, it was dumb luck / holding each other so tight / We got stuck” tie a bow on the messiness and heartbreak of a lost connection. The track’s cliffhanger ending of “When one world ends, the other worlds keep spinning” is haunting, leaving a stunning sense of finality.
“Lost Time” is a stripped-back, poignant reflection on love and regret, showcasing Dacus’s ability to examine both her relationships and herself. The slow-dance instrumentation is simple yet stunning, while the addition of chirping birds adds a sense of humanity to the track. Lines like, “Cause I love you in every day that I knew and didn’t say is lost time / now I’m knocking down your door / cause I’m trying to make up for lost time / Nothing lasts forever / but let’s see how far we get / so when it comes my turn to lose you, I’ll have made the most of it,” reflect a deep sense of yearning and self-awareness. The production on the track, along with the emotional rawness of the lyrics, delivers a powerful conclusion to the album, illustrating Dacus’s examination of herself and her self-inflicted hurt, all in the name of love.
Lucy Dacus’s Forever is a Feeling is a stunning exploration of the fragility of love and loss, blending her perfect balance between romantic classicism and modern soft rock. Across the project, Dacus masterfully pairs timeless charm with rich, romantic soundscapes, making Forever is a Feeling a sonically cohesive and powerfully poignant triumph.
