Too Many Days Without Thinking

Beggars Arkive will release a limited edition vinyl reissue of Swell - Too Many Days Without Thinking on April 18th in the US. Remastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road, this special edition comes on Oxblood colored vinyl.

Swell, a San Francisco-based indie rock band formed in 1989, quickly rose to prominence after self-producing and self-releasing 2 albums in the early 90s. Then joining Rick Rubin’s American Recordings and Beggars Banquet for the 3rd album 41 in 1994, then signing with Beggars Banquet for the world for Too Many Days Without Thinking. Blending lo-fi acoustics, atmospheric textures and understated vocals, Swell crafted a unique sound, melancholic yet propulsive. Their music was praised for its restrained dramatic mood and raw intimacy.

Originally released on Beggars Banquet in 1997, Too Many Days Without Thinking captures Swell’s signature hypnotic rhythms, cinematic arrangements, and breezy melodies that create an underlying tension with explosive dynamics. Featuring standout tracks like “What I Always Wanted”, “Throw The Wine”, and “Sunshine Everyday”. The first single taken from the album “(I Know) The Trip” was praised by NME on release as: “Guitar music with a very cool tune and even cooler demeanor”

Too Many Days Without Thinking, their fourth full-length release, is their absolute best so far. From the thumping bass drum power of "Throw The Wine," through the rock 'n' rolling fields of "Fuck Even Flow" and the sweet ballad "Bridgette, You Love Me," Too Many Days Without Thinking is a breakthrough on speaking terms with the Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream and Nirvana's Nevermind. Am I serious? Goddamn right.

-Ryan Schreiber (Pitchfork)

Founding member and vocalist/guitarist David Freel sadly died in 2022. Original members (Kirkpatrick, Vallier, Wenner and Dettman-Lytle) united for a tribute to Freel in 2023, playing favorite songs from the first 4 albums at shows in the US and Europe.