"Nested" is the seventh studio album by Bronx-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro, released in 1978 on Columbia Records. The album came after a period of intense touring to promote her 1976 album Smile, followed by the live album Season of Lights (1977). After these tours, Nyro retreated from the spotlight, relocating to Danbury, Connecticut, where she built a studio at her home to record her next album in a more private setting. Nested reflects this shift, capturing a more introspective and relaxed phase in Nyro’s personal and creative life.
The themes of Nested revolve largely around motherhood, womanhood, and domesticity. At the time, Nyro was deeply involved in her personal life and newly pregnant with her son, Gil, who was born shortly after the album's release. The music itself mirrors this domestic tranquility, with a laid-back, smooth sound that is less jazz-inspired than Smile and more melodic. The album features lush, mellow instrumentation and showcases Nyro’s more relaxed vocal delivery compared to her earlier, more emotionally intense work.
Musically, Nested is a continuation of the mellow, introspective mood Nyro had begun exploring on Smile. However, it leans more towards a melodic pop sound rather than the jazz influences of its predecessor. The album’s instrumentation is subtle and smooth, with a strong emphasis on Nyro's voice and the intimate, home-recorded feel of the tracks. The laid-back sound is complemented by lyrics that reflect Nyro's personal experiences with motherhood, womanhood, and love, marking a departure from her earlier political and social commentary.
Nested is often described as one of Nyro’s most "domestic" albums. The songs explore the themes of nurturing, personal growth, and the everyday experiences of life, with Nyro openly expressing her sense of peace and fulfillment in her new domestic setting. The lyrics highlight her new sense of connection to the world, as she navigated the complexities of her relationships and impending motherhood.
For Nested, Nyro worked with producer Roscoe Harring, and her longtime collaborator Felix Cavaliere returned to play piano and organ on several tracks. The album was recorded at Nyro's home studio, adding to its personal and intimate feel. Dale and Pop Ashby were the chief engineers. Despite this more relaxed and personal approach to songwriting and production, the album maintains the intricate, soulful touch Nyro had established in her previous works.
The sound of Nested is notably soft and mellow, with sparse arrangements that highlight Nyro’s voice and piano, while the contributions of Cavaliere's organ add subtle color to the mix. Guitars were played by Vinnie Cusano, who would later become the guitarist for KISS under the name Vinnie Vincent in the 1980s.
Critically, Nested was well-received for its melodic qualities and more accessible sound compared to some of Nyro’s earlier, more complex albums. Critics praised the album for its return to a more approachable style, with some calling it a "return to form." However, despite this praise, the album did not achieve commercial success. Nested failed to chart on the Billboard 200, making it Nyro's first album since her 1967 debut More Than a New Discovery to miss the charts entirely. The album's relative lack of commercial success has made it one of Nyro’s most obscure and rare releases.
For many years, Nested was out of print, further cementing its status as one of Nyro’s least-known albums. It was briefly released on CD in Japan but remained largely unavailable in other regions. However, Nested was reissued in 2008 by Iconoclassic Records in a remastered format, which helped to reintroduce the album to a new audience and allow it to be rediscovered by long-time fans of Nyro's work.
Although it did not achieve significant commercial success, Nested has gained recognition over time for its intimate and reflective quality. It marked a distinct chapter in Nyro's career, both personally and creatively. The album’s exploration of maternal and personal themes would later inform much of her work in the 1980s and 1990s, as she continued to explore her social and political views through her lyrics.
Nyro’s personal life, as well as the creation of Nested, is often cited as the beginning of her more inward-looking period, where the focus shifted from the grandiose, socially conscious themes of her earlier work to a quieter, more personal reflection of life, love, and family. This phase would continue to influence Nyro’s future albums, which often incorporated elements of folk, jazz, and R&B alongside her deeply personal lyricism.
Nested remains a cult favorite among fans and is considered a hidden gem in Nyro's catalog, offering a more intimate and personal look at the artist during a pivotal moment in her life.
