There is an elegant sense of romance, and artistic discovery that presents and defines itself throughout the thirteen songs that make up Forever Is A Feeling. Lucy Dacus finds a way to reinvent her Introspective storytelling while still keeping her lucid and magnetic approach as a key element in the music. The Atmosphere of the record has a defiant emotional undertone that seeps its way into every arrangement, transition, and tongue-in-cheek line that is so specifically heartbreaking that it’s hard to pinpoint, but you just recognize the genuine emotion throughout the whole listen.

The opening track, Calliope Prelude, caught me by surprise and separated me from any expectations or predictions I had for the record. The stunning strings and unpredictable tension that grows through the prelude into the brilliantly written track Big Deal really gave me a warm and sombre feeling that set me up for a record of undisputed honesty and dynamic musicality. The jangly rhythm of the opening acoustic guitar is the perfect way to introduce the song and similarly guides us to how Lucy guides us with her analytical style of lyricism.

A common theme that presents itself throughout a number of tracks is the idea of romanticizing the present in a relationship and how big and grandiose those moments can feel and that is showcased in a gorgeous way on Big Deal. Ankles is another stunning track that has a slightly more upbeat instrumental, which is an interesting juxtaposition between the touching and imaginatively intimate lyrics that open the song “What if we don’t touch, What if we only talk about what we want and can not have” a beautiful and poetic set of lyrics that almost respond to the themes from Big Deal in a gorgeous way.

When it comes to the most inventive and interesting songs on the record, Limerence immediately comes to mind with its wandering arrangement and jazz-influenced chord changes that create a canvas for Lucy to showcase the existential and introspective ways to manage her emotions about a specific situation. The song evokes a deep feeling and weight throughout the rest of the record. Modigliani has some excellent lyrics and lines that specifically stay in my mind. However, the song lacks a bit of substance within the instrumental, yet it’s still quite a nice song right in the middle of the record. The real anchor to this record that showcases Lucy’s artistic range is Talk, with its tight-knit arrangement and high-energy performances that keep you engaged and emotionally invested till the end. The production Definitely gets denser on Talk and builds to its wildly anthemic ending. The dynamic shifts back to the minimalist folk core of the record with a short and sweet acoustic ballad For Keeps.

The song is a perfect palate cleanser before it goes back to another huge highpoint on the record: the title track, Forever is a Feeling. This highly dynamic and technical song blew my mind on first listen with its gorgeous instrumental progression and Lucy’s amazing key changes and vocal chops throughout. The orchestral element of this record is prevalent throughout this record but is expanded on in an exciting way on Come Out with the gorgeous keyboard and harp flourishes that gently wander around Lucy’s voice in a way that recontextualizes the general tone of the album freshly. The stunning production continues brilliantly on the last four tracks, and Best Guess and Bullseye are really nice pairings on the tracklist, capturing nostalgic emotions and genuine optimism. The Hozier feature on Bullseye is a fantastic addition to the song and fits perfectly with Lucy’s voice. Most Wanted Man is a gorgeous track and has some compelling production and vocal melodies, but I do feel strongly that it moves a little far away from this record’s original tone which in some ways is not a bad thing but. I do feel like it’s a bit of an outlier on the album. Lost Time is a perfect closer that strips the album back to its core and ends things off in a satisfying and climactic way. The crushing guitar and drums at the end make for a really impactful end to Forever Is A Feeling and continue giving the listener butterflies until the end.

Pre-order Forever Is A Feeling by Lucy Dacus HERE