Twelve years after forming, The Big Moon has released their fourth studio album, Forever. While the band fronted by Juliette Jackson has enjoyed significant success, including a Mercury Prize nomination for their 2017 debut Love in the 4th Dimension and millions of streams for the 2019 single Your Light, their journey has not been without challenges. Previous albums explored the complexities of contemporary womanhood and the disorientation of new motherhood during the pandemic, but Forever emerges from a much more personal and troubling backdrop.
In 2024, Jackson was diagnosed with a cholesteatoma, a destructive cyst in the middle ear that required surgery and resulted in her losing most of her hearing on one side. For an artist whose identity is deeply tied to sound, Jackson described the experience as existential. Initially, this trauma led her to write material she found too miserable to keep. Consequently, she executed a creative pivot, deciding to actively imagine a happy ending that did not yet exist in order to cheer herself up.
This shift from agony to ecstasy mirrors historical precedents set by bands like New Order, The Cure, and Bon Iver, who similarly transitioned from melancholy to celebration. The result is an album of ethereally classy pop-disco tunes infused with a unique frisson born of sadness. The shimmery opener Gravity finds joy in the simple act of picking up a child from nursery, while Three Things celebrates youth and pop culture through bouncy keyboard riffs reminiscent of MGMT. Other tracks like Fun evoke the summery sounds of Haim and Madonna, imagining a life beyond constraints.
A recurring theme throughout the lyrics is the relishing of life's transience rather than fear of it. The recent single F.O.R.E.V.E.R features delicate harmonies and Fleetwood Mac-style production, poetically urging listeners to grab milestones before they pass. This sentiment continues in Can I Get a Reading Please, which notes that while life is short, regret lasts longer. Even the slightly darker country-tinged track Sounds acknowledges the inevitability of loss but banishes shadows with overall musical sunniness.
The album crystallizes its message of finding joy in difficult circumstances on the track You Remind Me That I’m Dying (And That It’s Good to Be Alive). With a bittersweet yet euphoric chorus, the song stands as a testament to Jackson's determination. Whether celebrating the comfort of love in I See You, Honey or pushing through obstacles in Speed Bump, Forever suggests that despite the hardships faced, there is indeed much for The Big Moon to smile about.
Sources: The Guardian Music.