The Big Moon – ‘Forever’ album review: Buried heads in sand
The Big Moon’s fourth album, *Forever*, channels singer Juliette Jackson’s experience of permanent hearing loss into bright, upbeat indie rock. The review sees the record as an attempt to face difficult circumstances through music and escape, while questioning whether its sustained optimism sometimes feels too polished to ring true.
Jackson was diagnosed with a benign tumour in her eardrum in 2024, after writing about new motherhood on the band’s 2022 album *Here Is Everything*. *Forever* spans ten tracks, from the pulsing opener “Gravity” to “Sounds”, where Jackson voices fears about losing access to the hearing world and the sound of her son’s voice. The album was released on 30 October 2026 and was produced by The Big Moon and Sam Cohen.
In short
- The Big Moon turn Jackson’s hearing loss into an upbeat album.
- The review finds the optimism can feel overly polished.
- “Sounds” is where the record confronts Jackson’s fears.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The album’s bright, upbeat sound can be heard as a deliberate way of meeting permanent hearing loss with creativity and resolve. Its optimism offers listeners, and perhaps Jackson herself, a space for connection and escape without denying the fears voiced in songs such as “Sounds”.
The case against
The sustained cheerfulness may feel too polished to convey the gravity and uncertainty of Jackson’s experience. If the music leans on escape, it can seem to leave difficult emotions at a distance, making its optimism less emotionally convincing.
Explained simply
The Big Moon are a British indie rock band led by singer and guitarist Juliette Jackson. Their fourth album, Forever, draws on Jackson’s experience of permanent hearing loss after she was diagnosed with a benign tumour in her eardrum in 2024.
The songs set difficult feelings alongside bright, upbeat guitar music. In “Sounds”, Jackson reflects on the possibility of losing everyday sounds, including her son’s voice. The album follows Here Is Everything, which dealt with her experience of becoming a mother.
The contrast between serious subject matter and buoyant music is central to the record. It raises a question about whether optimism can help someone face hardship, or whether it can make painful experiences sound tidier than they are.
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