There's a different wind blowing in from the Atlantic, and you can see it coming, rounding the bend, bringing the sound of the Far Caspian. Irish songwriter and producer Joel Johnston is unveiling a fragile new chapter in his musical journey with the release today of "An Outstretched Hand / Rain From Here To Kerry," the heartrending prelude to his third album, "Autofiction," released through his own Tiny Library Records.
Donning nearly every creative hat with a cool, low-key variety of self-confidence. Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and visual director Johnston presses on, making his statement, as he has consistently done as one of indie music's all-time self-sustainers. Here, on this new single, he welcomes listeners into something more personal than ever, a dual-titled track that reads like a dialogue between inner tumult and wistful longing. "An Outstretched Hand / Rain from Here to Kerry" is propulsive in rhythm but drenched in soul-churning melancholy, the sort that comes from foggy coastal drives, fleeting connections, and the ache of distance. Its guitars and barely there production reveal Johnston at his most confident, even as the lyrics imply someone seeking stability amid a storm. There's an emotional momentum to the song, a pacing that keeps you tethered even as it subtly unfolds.
Small wonder, then, that the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, KEXP, and tastemakers such as Pitchfork and Brooklyn Vegan have been championing Far Caspian. The sound on Johnston's recording impresses as both intimate and widescreen, equally apt for headphone solitude or fog-lit festival fields. With "Autofiction" set to be his most honest work to date, this track sets the stage undeniably Far Caspian.
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