joan - this won't last forever
- Samuel Stevens
- Sep 25, 2025
- 3 min read
With their sophomore album, joan—the Arkansas alt-pop duo of Alan Benjamin Thomas and Steven Rutherford—lean into vulnerability like never before. Out now via Photo Finish Records, this won’t last forever isn’t just a collection of shimmering pop tracks; it’s a deeply personal project forged in the midst of life’s highest highs and its most daunting uncertainties. The result is a record that balances bittersweet nostalgia, emotional honesty, and bright, hook-driven melodies with the gravity of lived experience.
At the heart of the album lies its title track, “this won’t last forever,” which also kicks off the record. The song captures the emotional crux of the record—an acceptance of life’s fleeting nature, both its beauty and its struggles. Backed by atmospheric synths and melancholic humour, it’s both a mantra and a release.
joan’s knack for glossy, infectious pop is on full display on “body language” and “magic.” Both tracks pulse with danceable rhythms and lush production, evoking the duo’s signature ‘80s-inspired sheen. Yet beneath this nostalgic sheen, the lyrics simmer with intimacy and yearning, grounding the tracks in emotional depth.
“face” and “eyes” showcase the band’s gift for crafting tender mid-tempos with immense lyrical contrast. These songs shimmer with dream-pop textures while carrying lyrical weight—quiet meditations on connection, distance, and love’s fragile persistence. The latter is an immense number that has the duo shed their heart and soul like no other song on the album.
The record’s more ambitious turns arrive with “supernatural” and the interlude “tutto passa.” The former leans into a cinematic blend of swirling synths, striking bass lines, and layered vocals, while the latter takes its name from the Italian phrase “everything passes,” amplifying the album’s central theme of impermanence. It’s a poignant inclusion that broadens the duo’s palette without losing their sense of immediacy.
“heartbodymindsoul” feels like a centrepiece moment—it's expansive, unabashedly romantic, and overflowing with devotion. However, in contrast, the track “bothered” pulls toward darker corners, with moodier arrangements and heavier emotional tones that add dimension to the record’s emotional arc. Whereas “tsunami” features janky guitars, but overall it's a full-blown pop number that is sure to be a favourite in their live show.
The closing stretch highlights the pair of tracks, “alibi” and “space,” which reaffirm why joan has become a fixture in modern alt-pop. Once more, “alibi” is sleek and infectious with its heart and pulsing synths, while “space” feels almost cosmic in its expansiveness—an ethereal closer that lingers long after the final note.
What makes this won’t last forever stand out is its cohesion. Every song orbits the same emotional nucleus: the recognition that life is transient, that joy and pain alike pass with time. It’s a concept that resonates universally, yet joan filter it through their own lived experiences—making the record as much personal as it is relatable to its listeners.
Production-wise, the duo stay true to their established sound—blending sparkling synths, glossy guitar flourishes, and layered harmonies—while maturing in their storytelling. The result is an album that balances accessibility with substance, nostalgia with immediacy.
For a band that has steadily built its following through heartfelt songwriting and high-energy live shows, this won’t last forever feels like a milestone: the work of a group who’ve weathered storms, embraced joy, and emerged with a record that mirrors both the fragility and resilience of being alive.
this won’t last forever is joan at their most vulnerable, most polished, and most resonant yet. It’s an album that asks listeners to dance through their grief, but to hold on to their joy while it lasts, and to trust that no darkness lingers forever. It's a career-defining release from one of alt-pop’s most emotionally attuned duos.
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