Indie singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus released her fourth solo album “Forever is a Feeling” on March 28. The album was preceded by her first three solo albums, “No Burden,” “Historian” and “Home Video.” Dacus’ songwriting is marked by both her profound storytelling and the deep sense of wanting and reflecting it instills in the listener.

“Forever is a Feeling” is Dacus’ first solo release since boygenius, the band composed of herself, Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, which released its sophomore album “the record” in 2023.

Dacus, Bridgers and Baker are themselves three very successful solo artists and after “the record” was toured, they announced they wouldn’t be moving forward as a band in the foreseeable future. Although disappointing, the three remain great friends (as well as Baker and Dacus being in a relationship) and all artists worth listening to on their own.

The first three singles of the album including “Ankles,” “Limerence” and “Best Guess” foreshadowed a theme of a stable and peaceful relationship, for better or for worse.

“Ankles,” the first single, released Jan. 14, tells the story of wanting to both live a stable, quiet life and desiring to be consumed by the feeling of being in love. “Limerence,” shortly following the release of “Ankles,” mourns a downside of stable love, fearing being trapped and bored in a long-term relationship. “Limerence” is a slower ballad, a format that permits the piece to showcase Dacus’ lyricism and match the theme of the song.

The two songs, as shown in the timing of the release, reflect on the two diverging feelings of being in a stable relationship — both wanting to be loved quietly but possibly having a lingering feeling of being trapped. “Best Guess” wraps up the initial singles by telling the story of wanting a future with someone, no matter what, as Dacus sings, “You are my best guess at the future.”

“Talk,” the fourth and final single of the album, is in a different vein entirely, containing the theme of reminiscence on a past relationship and hypothesizing about why it ended, as the chorus states, “Why can’t we talk anymore” and “Or did I drink you to the last drop?”

Similarly, the song is sonically in a different category than the first three singles, proving to be more upbeat and incorporating more loud, electronic elements. The theme of “Talk” and the rest of the singles provides an accurate foreshadowing of the rest of the album. Of course, there’s the element of love songs and stable love, but it’s balanced out by songs such as this, which provide a different outlook on love and relationships.

The album begins with “Calliope Prelude,” an entirely instrumental piece that leads into the first track “Big Deal.” This sweet and almost tear-jerking first track tells the story of a slow-burn love story and how this person who is the object of their love is, in fact, a big deal. One of Dacus’ strengths as a songwriter has always been telling not only deep and profound but human love stories so that the theme of the song is clear. This track is no different. It tells a direct story that listeners can follow along with while remaining truly beautiful and relatable.

The title track of the album, “Forever Is a Feeling,” incorporates an offbeat piano melody that slowly builds on itself. As another love song, the lyrics poignantly say, “You knew the scenic route / I knew the shortcut and shut my mouth” and the refrain of “Forever is a feeling / And I know it well,” provides yet another beautiful analogy for how love is experienced.

Another highlight of the album includes the collaboration with Hozier on “Bullseye.” Dacus has done few collaborations in her career, mostly with Baker and Bridgers singing background vocals on various tracks, but this is the first prominent example of her bringing another artist in to sing lead vocals on a track. Dacus’ clear, higher voice meshes beautifully with Hozier’s more gravelly lower range.

“Forever is a Feeling” is full of raw love songs that turn the listener inside out. From the singles to the album tracks to collaborations, the project is a true work of art.

Rating: 4/5