Review
From the gentle strum of the opener, there’s an unmistakable breeze of change in The Longer This Goes On—Forth Wanderers don’t simply pick up where they left off; they step into something new with quiet resolve. After years away, the Montclair quintet return with an album that blends wistful indie rock with grown-up introspection, and it’s a record that feels both familiar and strangely fresh.
The production embraces space: guitars glint like afternoon light, drums breathe with intent, and vocalist Ava Trilling moves between the brittle and the bold with aching precision. On songs like “To Know Me/To Love Me” and “7 Months”, the band wavers between longing and release, weaving melodies that feel as much about memory as they do about the moment. The instrumental flourishes—the shimmering keys on “Bluff”, the patient build-ups on “Make Me”—speak of a band unafraid to let silence grow into atmosphere.
There are moments when the album’s restraint might be mistaken for reticence, and it lacks the jagged urgency of their earlier work. But that’s part of its beauty—The Longer This Goes On isn’t about recapturing what was—it’s about acknowledging what remains. Forth Wanderers have returned not with nostalgia, but with nuance.- Nora
