Daniel Johnston: Is And Always Was

Not to be confused with the X Factor contestant of almost the same name, Daniel Johnston adds another chapter to his already relevant artistic legend with the release of his latest album Is And Always Was, writes Ryan Butcher.


Already a cult icon, Daniel Johnston became an unlikely American pop phenomenon in 1981 with the release of Songs of Pain. These unique, lo-fi recordings provided the basis for nearly three decades of tales of unrequited love, cosmic mishaps and existential torment.

However, the most noticeable thing about Is And Always Was is that the lo-fi production values which made Johnston so accessibly authentic have been stripped away and replaced by the knob-twiddling of musician and producer Jason Falkner, best known for his work with Beck, Air and Paul McCartney.

Daniel Johnston loyalists might find themselves a little taken back by the shine and polish which surrounds Is And Always Was. Fortunately, Johnston’s unstable nature is to such an extent that each filtered, accentuated note still carries his archetypical weight of lament and heartbreak. Tracks such as Tears and Without You recall the melodic pop brilliance of his earlier work, and would fit comfortably on his highly-regarded seminal album Hi, How Are You.

Coming in at a little under a minute and a half, sixth track on the album Had Lost My Mind is so quintessentially Daniel Johnston, it could easily be mistake as a parody or homage to his earlier self. With no shame in mentioning his history of mental health problems, Johnston mumbles in his trademark Texan drawl: “I had lost my mind. I lost my head for a while, was off my rocker, outta line, outta wack”.

Other tracks like Light of Day and Freedom suggest a newer direction for Johnston. In the former, he hints at Pink Floyd-esque prog-rock, whilst the later explores tempos faster and more upbeat than any of his previous work.

Daniel Johnston is now 48 years of age. His skinny frame and curly-haired mop have experienced the effects of adolescence and time. But this is the same Daniel Johnston the world has grown to know and love: still looking for love, still an unashamed fan of The Beatles, and still plagued by the Devil and his demons.

Is And Always Was is everything we have come to expect from Daniel Johnston, yet somehow so much more.