While he has only experienced brushes with mainstream attention,
Daniel Johnston’s impact can be heard way beyond the underground.
Without Johnston, who knows if there would have been Kurt Cobain, Beck
or Bright Eyes? After a 30-year career of mostly lo-fi recordings,
Johnston returns with his most realized effort, Is and Always
Was. Produced by Jason Falkner, the album keeps Johnston’s
imperfections while making them accessible to those who dig more
polished sounds. Johnston comes off more alive than ever — like
he’s been waiting forever for a chance to experiment with bigger
sounds. His Beatles obsession shines on songs like “Without You” and
“Light of Day,” making clear that Lennon is a bigger influence on his
songwriting than Sir Paul. The great thing about Johnston — and
probably the biggest reason for his cult status — is that he’s
always genuine. Even when he’s trying something different or working
with new people, he never gets lost in the static. On the heartbreaking
ballad “Mind Movies,” he earnestly sings, “I sure can’t simply
disappear.” With an album as good as this, we hope he never does.
— Eddie Fleisher
This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2009.
