When we last heard from Matthew Schwartz of Pacifico on his early 2022 EP release “‘05/‘22,” we were hearing the Matthew Schwartz of Pacifico from 17 years earlier.
True to the title, much of that explosive batch of songs was recorded in 2005, misplaced via hard drive in the pre-cloud era, then eventually found, completed, and released.
On the upcoming full-length Self Care (Pacifirecords, February 10, 2023), now sounds like NOW.
Schwartz’s first full-length in five years comes with all of the pent-up emotion one would expect from meticulously composing a statement under the veil of cleaning out a desk drawer of old material (literally, in this case.)
“The lyrics on this album all center on self-care,” Schwartz confirms. “This is the most diverse and most vulnerable group of songs I have ever created.”
The album isn’t called Self Help for a reason. It’s Self Care, and there’s a difference.
From songs about not giving up, to going for your goals, to being a present listener and creating healthy boundaries, Self Care reflects a willingness to enjoy the journey, come what may.
The various styles that Schwartz and his world-class collaborators stich seamlessly include genres from 1950s to tomorrow.
Some of the artists and musicians who worked on Self Care include Peter Randall (bassist with Seal, Adele, and The Kooks) and Shane Tutmarc of Dolour (featured on the track “Haunt You,” in addition to providing backing vocals, keys, and percussion.) Self Care was mixed by Aaron Sprinkle, best known as a platinum record-earning and chart-topping producer, with artwork is by Adult Swim’s Trey Wadsworth.
“There are fast punk songs, slow acoustic ballads, strings, piano, horns, and everything in-between,” Schwartz says.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the video for the standout track “Comatose,” which lyrically and musical shares an energy with early-2000s skate punk. But Schwartz veers from this in the way he conveys a sense of wisdom in the lyrics, which he sings in a way that is both jaded and exuberant to capture the mood. With its bouncy bass line and plenty of explosive guitar flourishes, the song ultimately feels like a cathartic rocker that finds its singer coming to terms with his current position in life.
“‘Comatose’ is about making healthy boundaries and ending an abusive relationship, which for me, has been with the music industry. The video is a visual representation of the lyrics, where we see the band is enjoying performing, but the business slowly takes away our joy and we disappear. Recently, I’ve learned it’s okay to say no, to protect your energy, time, and overall well being, and even though ‘Self Care’ was written as if it was to be my last album, now I’m not sure if it is!” – Matthew Schwartz of Pacifico
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