As a devoted fan of indie band Boygenius and each member’s solo work, I’ve been excitedly awaiting Lucy Dacus’ newest album since the January release of lead singles “Ankles” and “Limerence.” On Friday, Dacus released her fourth studio record, “Forever is a Feeling.”
While I love all three members of Boygenius, Dacus’ songwriting has always resonated most heavily with my own feelings and experiences out of the three. In her music, Dacus often delves into themes of growing up, finding purpose and basking in young love, and her songwriting portrays these topics in a way that is so earnest and relatable. I was excited to discover how these familiar themes might be incorporated into her latest album, as well as to hear what new ideas she may be exploring.
The album was released on the heels of Dacus’ confirmation of her relationship with Boygenius bandmate Julien Baker, which was a “fork found in kitchen” moment for most fans who had long suspected the romance. With that in mind, it was easy to listen to the album as a series of love letters from Dacus to Baker.
I don’t find this record to be absolutely groundbreaking, lyrics or instrumentals-wise; however, I think not all music needs to be. The lyrics on this album are not a huge deviation from how and what Dacus normally writes, but the songs are full of intimately specific references to her own life and relationships that only hardcore fans would recognize immediately.
One track that really piqued my interest is “Big Deal,” a melancholy song that mourns a hypothetical future in which Dacus and her lover grow apart and end up with other people. This is the second track of the album and also includes the first lyrics we hear on the project: “Flicking embers into daffodils/You didn’t plan to tell me how you feel/You laugh about it like it’s no big deal/Crush the fire underneath your heel.” From here, we as listeners are first invited into the inner world of Dacus’ intimate feelings and emotions. The tone of the song is wistful as Dacus laments what has not yet happened and admires what currently is.
Next comes “Ankles,” the a-side of the album’s lead single release. Another love song, Dacus urges her lover to take her to bed and then “help me with the crossword in the morning.” The song is riddled with other playful references to the little things that make living with a partner for the first time so exhilarating. The harmonies on the chorus make the song feel cutesy and fluttery, reminiscent of the feeling of butterflies in your stomach.
“Limerence” sees Dacus singing softly over a delicate string and piano arrangement as she contemplates whether a gentle, domestic life spent with one partner would be enough to satisfy her. “Why do I feel alive when I’m behaving my worst?” she wonders, detailing the guilt she feels for craving more than a settled life at home.
The song has an anxious, restless feeling that is common in Dacus’ writing, but explores a topic that many feel too afraid to consider: is love and contentment enough to be happy forever? The question is left unanswered: “I want what we have, a beautiful life/But the stillness, the stillness might eat me alive.”
Those ending lines feel parallel to the final lines of a song from “Home Video,” Dacus’ previous solo album, called “Cartwheel:” “The future isn’t worth its weight in gold/The future is a benevolent black hole.” Those lyrics immediately came to mind when I first heard the ending of “Limerence;” both songs conclude in these ominous lines before fading into silence, leaving those final words to weigh heavily on listeners’ minds.
Another song on this record that draws parallels to some of Dacus’ previous writing is “Modigliani,” a song about Dacus’ platonic love for Boygenius bandmate Phoebe Bridgers. , specifically Dacus missing her Boygenius bandmate Phoebe Bridgers while Bridgers was in a different country. This theme of extremely close friendship is reminiscent of “Leonard Cohen” from Boygenius’ first album, which explores the same idea.
“For Keeps” is a song that remarks on the uncertainty of love and relationships, making an interesting comparison to the uncertainty of religion. Its lyrics subvert the common trope of describing traditional beauty as heaven-sent or godly by doing the opposite. Instead, Dacus sees God in what would be socially perceived as her partner’s flaws: “God is in the gap in your teeth.”
The album’s titular track showcases stimulatingly unusual melodies throughout, as well as an interestingly jangly piano part. As Dacus reflects on the feeling of permanence within her relationship and how she will do anything to draw out every little moment, she insists that “Forever is a feeling/And I know it well.” The song’s bridge also features guest vocals from Baker and Bridgers.
“Come Out,” whose title is another obvious reference to queerness, sees Dacus pleading with her lover to “Come out, come out, there’s no need to hide/I want you, I want you, I want you by my side.” She spends the entire song longing for her partner to be brave enough to love her publicly, even though she herself struggles to express that bravery.
In continuation of a lyric theme of unabashed queer love, “Best Guess” is another expression of admiration to Baker with simple but effective lyrics. This is also the first time Dacus has used female pronouns to describe a love interest in a song: “You may not be an angel/But you are my girl.”
“Bullseye” features warm vocals from indie folk musician Hozier. The duet reflects on all the good times shared in a relationship despite the fact that the partnership is ending; even in this end, there is still love between them. In an interview with People Magazine, Dacus said that the song was meant to be a duet because it “reads as the ideal breakup” between two people who are no longer right for each other.
“Most Wanted Man” is about the exhilaration felt when two friends finally give in to the romance between them, and features a jaunty chorus with fitting guest vocals from Baker. Dacus details all the moments between her and Baker that she had coveted before they finally confessed their feelings; now, breathtakingly, those moments are a reality.
The album ends with “Lost Time,” which sees Dacus emotionally reflecting on all the time she knew she was in love with Baker before she voiced it aloud. “But I love you and every day/That I knew it and didn’t say is lost time/Now I’m knocking down your door/’Cause I’m trying to make up for lost time.” The song is hopeful, craving a future full of love and happy memories and making up for “lost time.”
Although it is not anything particularly novel or innovative on a grand global scale, this album is a candid expression of long anticipated love. It is full of the bold confessions, flourishing harmonies, personal sensitivities and passionate memories that makes Dacus’ writing so stirring, inviting listeners to situate themselves warmly in her musical imagination.
