Forever Is A Feeling is Lucy Dacus’s fourth solo album, and her first since 2023’s the record released with her bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker as part of boygenius. This record is a logical step forward in Dacus' solo music work. The tone is not like boygenius and it has a different overall sound from her previous solo recordings — but not too different to turn people off.
Forever is a Feeling continues to prove that Dacus (like her bandmates in boygenius) is one of the better songwriters currently going. Her previous record Home Video was lyrically heavy with emotional themes, which made it an excellent record, but personally I had to be in the right frame of mind to put it on. Forever is a Feeling is a little less intense, and sounds like Dacus has found love and happiness in life, at least to a certain degree.
Dacus is clearly a gifted songwriter, and those abilities are on full display with this record. Songs like “Ankles” and “Best Guess” show that she's singing from a personal place and giving it her all. “Ankles” is a love song and hints at all the quirky little things we do with our partners. It’s a sweet song musically, with some possible dark undertones depending on how you interpret some of the lyrics.
“Talk” is a bit more in line with previous Dacus offerings, and should easily please longtime fans. It’s got a pummeling beat and fuzzed out guitar that’s reminiscent of some of the more guitar forward tracks on Home Video. The lyrics are full of metaphor and deeper meaning. Lines like “I didn’t mean to start talking in the past tense / I guess I don’t know what I think ‘till I start talking” even sounds like a Dacus lyric — it’s almost like Lucy has “Dacus-isms,” lines that could only come from her. Lyrically, she has a vibe, and lines like that are scattered across the record.
If you’ve enjoyed the last three albums by Lucy Dacus and her work in boygenius, then Forever Is A Feeling should be mandatory listening. With each release Dacus comes off more and more relatable. It seems like she'd be the easiest to converse with out of the three members of boygenius. Now, I’m basing this solely on her songs and the feeling they evoke while listening to them but really, she seems approachable and kind. After listening to Forever Is A Feeling, I think it'd be pretty cool to get a coffee with Dacus and talk about books. I bet she has a favorite coffee spot in all the big cities and plenty of good recommendations.
