An Album That Unravels: Goner and the Music of Emotional Survival
Album artwork for Goner, the fourth studio album by James Wyatt Crosby
A breakup record shaped by loss, computer crashes, and lo-fi intimacy from Toronto artist James Wyatt Crosby on Canadian dream pop label Wavy Sun
The production value kind of devolves as the album progresses. At a certain point, I stopped trying to write songs and just started putting my journal entries to music.”
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, January 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Toronto-based recording artist James Wyatt Crosby will release his fourth full-length album, Goner, on May 15, 2026, via the Canadian dream pop label Wavy Sun.— James Wyatt Crosby
Written during the collapse and aftermath of a long-term relationship, Goner is a deliberately unravelling breakup album—one that becomes increasingly fragile, exposed, and unresolved as it progresses. What begins as carefully constructed songs gives way to lo-fi sketches, unfinished textures, and recordings originally never intended for release.
Crosby describes the album as a document of emotional survival rather than a polished statement. Early tracks were written while the relationship was still intact; later recordings emerged after it ended, often functioning more as private journal entries set to music than traditional songs. During this period, repeated technical failures and lost multitrack sessions forced Crosby to either abandon material entirely or release it as it existed—raw, incomplete, and emotionally charged.
Rather than rebuilding or recreating those recordings, Crosby chose to preserve their original state. The resulting album reflects that decision: production degrades intentionally over time, vocals grow more exposed, and structure gives way to immediacy. The final tracks feel closer to captured moments than finished compositions.
Musically, Goner sits between indie dream pop, lo-fi art pop, and experimental pop. Distorted guitars, fractured arrangements, and hazy vocal hooks are paired with abrupt transitions and brief instrumental fragments. The album's focus track, "Lighthouse," anchors the record's emotional centre, while earlier singles "And the Sky" and "A.O.T.T." introduce its shifting tone and unstable emotional terrain.
Goner follows Crosby’s earlier work, including his 2017 debut album Twins, which featured the sleeper hit “Deep In Yr Mind” and earned a place on Nerdist’s “25 Best Underground Albums of 2017.” Subsequent releases found an audience through Canadian college radio, television placements, and a steady rediscovery of his catalog over the following years. With Goner, Crosby turns inward, prioritizing honesty over cohesion and process over resolution.
The album will be released on May 15, 2026. Singles "And the Sky" (February 27, 2026) and "A.O.T.T." (April 3, 2026) precede the album release.
Kathleen Farley
Wavy Sun
hello@wavysun.ca
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