As Far Caspian, Joel Johnston writes expansive and enveloping indie rock songs about being aimlessly stuck in routines. Anchored by the Leeds-based, Ireland-born musician’s dogged attention to detail—he writes, performs, records, and mixes everything himself—his music consistently feels like its own self-contained world, full of densely packed hooks and guitar-based atmospherics. With his sophomore LP The Last Remaining Light, he’s made his most cohesive and compelling work yet. The album is the result of Johnston streamlining his approach in the studio, finding inspiration in peeling back his tracks’ layers in a way that’s both rewarding and immediate in its simplicity. 

Originally a Soundcloud-based outlet for Johnston to publish engineer and production work, Far Caspian quickly became a full-time recording project when U.K. label Dance to the Radio caught wind of his earliest songs. A pair of EPs, 2018’s Between Days and 2019’s The Heights, as well as his 2021 debut full-length Ways To Get Out, showcased Johnston’s propensity for strong, lasting hooks and his growing confidence as a songwriter and producer. Those early releases earned him regular airplay from BBC Radio 1 and KEXP as well as rave reviews from Clash and The Line of Best Fit. However, The Last Remaining Light feels like a reinvention for Far Caspian, one that evokes the moody worlds of Grandaddy and the intricate pop sensibilities of Pinback. “My initial songs were part of a healing process that I went through at an early age, so I don’t really identify with them as much anymore,” says Johnston. “I’ve drifted very far from that—not just emotionally, but also stylistically. I feel like I’ve made an album now that I wish I could have made back then.”