Lucy Dacus has often found herself rooted in the past. Historian and Home Video basked in nostalgia, almost single-minded in how they documented vignettes of her personal history. Four years on from her last solo release – and one year after her supergroup boygenius announced their indefinite hiatus – Dacus seems more firmly embedded in the present. On Forever Is A Feeling, she revels in easy romance and intimacy, looking to the future with gentle optimism instead of dwelling on the past.
Forever Is A Feeling excels in its breathtaking instrumentation, beginning with the most minimalist of strings on opener Calliope Prelude. Grandiose baroque-pop strings in Ankles perfectly complement Dacus’s soft, measured vocals, just as its imagery of quiet domestic bliss pairs well with its more sexually charged lyricism. January single Limerence and the title track continue this timeless musicality with folksy strings and piano reminiscent of Laufey or Sufjan Stevens.
Best Guess looks at the Virginian singer/songwriter's romantic status, specifically her recently revealed relationship with boygenius bandmate Julien Baker. Outrightly and unapologetically tender, the low-key, country-imbued guitars allow her bold adoration for Baker to grab all of the attention as she sings, “You were my best friend before you were my best guess at the future”. But Baker isn’t the only bandmate to have her moment on the album; Modigliani, named for the Italian painter and sculptor, is an ode to her friendship with Phoebe Bridgers.
Bullseye features guest vocals from Ireland's Hozier, who is always a welcome addition in the folksy indie sphere. His presence is subdued in comparison with his deific solo work, matching Dacus’s more sedate vocals. Lost Time closes the album with that same quiet intimacy that sits at the heart of Forever Is A Feeling, those peaceful moments cherished in a long-distance relationship.
This is an album of contrasts, combining snapshots of domesticity with otherworldly instrumentations. The album cover itself mashes the old and new, depicting Dacus as a Renaissance muse with a chest tattoo. In these contradictions, we see Dacus at her most ambitious, delivering a romantic album for the ages.