Wussy’s ‘Forever Sounds’: A Wall of Noise Worth Pushing Through

Wussy’s Forever Sounds is a loud, tangled, and strangely beautiful record. The Cincinnati band has spent years building a reputation on sharp songwriting and vivid, unflinching lyrics about adult life, and this 2016 release pushes that foundation into noisier territory. It is a shoegaze record at heart, thick with distorted guitars and buried vocals, but the melodies underneath are pure Wussy. The band is trying to do something specific here: make a record that feels like a wall of sound while still letting the songs breathe. For the most part, they pull it off.

The album does not waste time. The opening song sets the tone immediately, and from there the record moves through a series of bold, often overwhelming gestures. It is a heavier album than anything Wussy had made before, and that weight is the point. The guitars are louder, the feedback is more present, and the vocals often sit low in the mix, as if the songs are being shouted from another room. It is not an easy listen at first, but it rewards patience. This is music that wants to be felt as much as heard.

Dropping Houses Opens the Door

“Dropping Houses” is the right way to start. It is a churning, insistent piece of guitar work, with a melody that burrows into the skull and stays there. The song is built on a simple, driving riff, and the vocals trade off between the band’s two songwriters. The lyrics are characteristically odd, full of domestic imagery that never quite resolves into a clear narrative. That ambiguity is a Wussy hallmark, and it is on full display here. The song feels like a mission statement: we are going to be louder than before, but we are not giving up the weirdness.

The track also establishes the album’s central tension. The noise is front and center, but the songwriting underneath is as disciplined as ever. The songwriting duo has a knack for writing hooks that feel inevitable, and “Dropping Houses” has one of the strongest on the record. It is a song that could work as a pop single if it were cleaned up, but the band has no interest in that. They want the grit, and they wear it proudly.

She’s Killed Hundreds and the Violence of Everyday Life

“She’s Killed Hundreds” follows, and it is a two-minute blast of dark humor and menace. The title sounds like a horror movie, but the song is more unsettling than that, because it never explains itself. The lyrics are spare, almost fragmentary, and the music matches that restraint with a tight, propulsive rhythm. It is the shortest track on the album, and it earns its brevity. Nothing is wasted here.

The song is also a reminder that Wussy has always been willing to look at the ugly parts of life without flinching. There is a grimness to the record’s worldview, but it is never cynical. The band finds something almost tender in the mess. “She’s Killed Hundreds” is a small, sharp piece of work, and it sets up the longer songs that follow.

The Long Middle Stretch

“Donny’s Death Scene” is the longest track on the album, and it is the centerpiece. The song builds slowly, layering guitars and feedback until the whole thing feels like it is about to collapse. The title suggests a specific, cinematic moment, but the lyrics are more abstract, dealing with loss and memory in a way that feels personal without being confessional. It is the kind of song that rewards repeated listens, because the details only emerge after the noise recedes.

“Gone” follows, and it is a comedown. The track is quieter, more spacious, and it lets the vocals take the lead. It is a song about absence, about the space someone leaves behind, and the music reflects that emptiness. The guitars are still present, but they are less aggressive, more atmospheric. It is a necessary breather in the middle of the record, and it shows that Wussy can do restraint as well as they do volume.

“Hello I’m A Ghost” is next, and it is one of the most memorable tracks on the album. The title is pure Wussy: playful, morbid, and oddly inviting. The song is built on a jangly guitar line that feels almost poppy, but the lyrics are anything but. It is a song about feeling invisible, about moving through the world without being seen. The contrast between the bright music and the dark subject matter is the kind of move the band has perfected over the years.

Hand of God and the Back Half

“Hand of God” is a dense, swirling track that leans hard into the shoegaze influence. The vocals are buried deep in the mix, and the guitars are so loud they threaten to swallow everything else. It is a song about power and helplessness, about forces beyond control, and the music captures that feeling of being overwhelmed. It is not the most immediate track on the record, but it is one of the most atmospheric.

“Sidewalk Sale” is a welcome change of pace. It is a shorter, punchier song, with a more conventional structure and a chorus that sticks. The lyrics are about finding value in discarded things, and there is a warmth to the track that cuts through the noise of the rest of the album. It is a reminder that Wussy can write a straight-ahead rock song when they want to, and it is one of the most accessible moments on the record.

“Better Days” is another shift. The song is slower, more reflective, and it features some of the clearest vocals on the album. It is a song about hoping for improvement, about the gap between where you are and where you want to be. The music is patient, letting the melody unfold without rushing. It is a quiet highlight, and it shows the band’s range.

Majestic-12 and My Parade Close It Out

“Majestic-12” is a strange, sprawling track that references the conspiracy theory about a secret government group. The song is long and winding, with multiple sections that never quite settle into a single groove. It is the most experimental moment on the album, and it does not always work. The ideas are interesting, but they feel slightly undercooked, as if the band was still figuring out what they wanted the song to be. It is a stumble, but not a fatal one.

“My Parade” closes the record, and it is a strong finish. The song is anthemic in a way that feels earned, with a big chorus and a sense of release. It is a song about defiance, about marching forward even when things are falling apart. The guitars are loud, but they feel triumphant rather than oppressive. It is the right way to end an album that has spent most of its runtime wrestling with darkness.

The Score and the Consensus

Forever Sounds is a bold record, and it mostly succeeds. The shift toward heavier, noisier music could have buried the band’s strengths, but the songwriting is sturdy enough to survive the onslaught. The album is occasionally overwhelming, and a few tracks feel like they are reaching for something they cannot quite grasp. But the highs are high, and the record rewards the effort it demands.

The critical reception was strong. The album holds a Metacritic score of 79 out of 100, and critics broadly praised it as a noisier, heavier, shoegaze-tinged departure that still showcased Wussy’s trademark sharp songwriting and vivid lyricism. Most reviews framed it as a strong, if occasionally overwhelming, addition to the band’s catalog.

The Tracks That Stand Out

The band has never been interested in easy answers, and Forever Sounds is no exception. It is a record about the mess of living, about the noise that surrounds us and the moments of clarity that break through. It is not a comfortable listen, but it is a rewarding one. The band has made a career out of balancing catchy hooks with odd, unsettling details, and this album is a strong addition to that catalog.

The tracks that stand out are the ones that find the balance between noise and melody:

1. “Dropping Houses”
2. “Hello I’m A Ghost”
3. “She’s Killed Hundreds”
4. “Donny’s Death Scene”
5. “Sidewalk Sale”

These are the songs that will keep listeners coming back. The lesser tracks are not failures, but they are less memorable, and they blur together in the middle of the record. That is a minor complaint, though, because the album as a whole holds together.

This is a record that demands attention. It is not background music, and it does not want to be. It is a wall of sound that asks you to push through it, and if you do, you will find something worth keeping on the other side. It is the sound of a band refusing to stand still, and that is a good thing.

Forever Sounds is a strong, ambitious album from a band that deserves more attention than it gets. It is not perfect, but it is alive in a way that most records are not. It is loud, it is strange, and it is worth your time.

album review · Cincinnati music · Forever Sounds · indie rock · shoegaze · Wussy