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Our recurring feature series Track by Track sees artists guiding readers through each song on their new release. Today, Irish singer-songwriter Joel Johnston takes a deep dive into his new Far Caspian album, Autofiction.
Far Caspian’s Joel Johnston specializes in nerve-touching sonics. The warm chord progressions, the dry, crystallized tone on his guitar, the delicate timbre of his vocals… each piece of the puzzle works to elicit goosebumps and offer a peaceful way forward.
Autofiction, the Irish musician’s latest collection, is loaded with these moments, where pouring rain is interrupted by beaming sunshine and sorrowful meditations are met with spellbinding guitar work. It’s an even more ambitious advancement from his last LP, The Last Remaining Light, but Johnston feels the new album took less out of him than usual; his motto for Autofiction was meant to be more impulsive and joyous, centering the songwriting around the idea of “I’m enjoying this right now and therefore it’s good enough.”
Though there is a lightness that comes with such a welcoming attitude, Johnston has still imbued Autofiction with a great deal of weight. He touches on his struggles with Crohn’s disease, emetophobia, OCD, and anxiety throughout, but balances these challenging reflections with messages of hope and resilience. He ends his Track By Track breakdown with a poignant note from his father (who was quoting a different author) that seems to sum up the entirety of the record: “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” For Johnston, that piece of advice helped him get through some tough moments and blossomed into its own commentary on braving the uncertain.
Stream Autofiction below, and read on for Johnston’s Track by Track breakdown, which also includes corresponding works of fiction as companions to each track. Johnston lists books like The Fellowship of the Ring and Kafka on the Shore alongside films like Past Lives, Moonlight, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and more.
English (US) · 