It’s the easiest lede ever written to declare that the music of No Swoon does, in fact, make the listener swoon. But here we are, on the release eve of the Los Angeles duo’s sophomore album Take Your Time, as Tasha Abbott and Zack Nestel-Patt unveil another new single in “Spare The Time,” a heavenly slice of atmospheric and aerial dream-pop that’s quite easy to get lost within. Thematically, it’s about our struggle with creative hurdles and the drive to overcome them in order to do what we love.
Take Your Time, out this Friday (April 8), was mostly recorded in Western Massachusetts during the pandemic, not too far from where Nestel-Patt spent his youth in the Boston area. But as No Swoon settle into their new home of LA after first forming in New York City, the lofty sounds across Take Your Time owe few debts to physical locations or influence. Upon first listens it emits a sense of boundless exploration, diving into self-reflection, acceptance, and a sense of being that changes as we grow older.
“These are some of the most personal songs we’ve written yet,” the duo says. “Like most people during the pandemic, we were forced to shut everything down and had so much time to think and reflect on what was going on, which eventually led to reflecting about our life in general and how we got to where we are. And while we were angry, we were mostly sad and confused, and wanted to quiet things down. We wanted something softer, something with more comfort.”
No Swoon add: “There’s a lot of self reflection on this record — about things we would have done differently, or things we wished we had done; a lot of thoughts about personal hurdles, depression, and family. But this record is mostly about self acceptance. We have all needed comfort and love during the last few years — this album is really just a hug for our inner child — with a little weirdness, naturally.
Before the album blooms, immerse into “Spare The Time” below.