Autumn Sweater
Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo is 90 BPM — Andante (walking pace).
Half-time 45 BPM · Double-time 180 BPM · released 1997
Song DNA
This sits gently on the calm side. It rises and falls a fair amount with just a little movement, over a layered texture. Soft, gentle vocals on top, at an unhurried mid-tempo. Mostly steady, it still leaves a little room to surprise. On our 19,209-song scale, it sits more energetic than 23% of songs, calmer than the rest.
Cultural Context
Yo La Tengo blends indie rock with elements of noise pop and experimental music.
Listening Prompt
Wrap yourself in the warmth of the sound.
What to Expect
Dynamic range of 5 keeps this 1997 Yo La Tengo track from I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One within a contained volume band — no wide swings to brace for. Soft vocals remain understated throughout. Mild sudden changes were noted, so there are occasional small shifts in the sensory landscape, though nothing abrupt. The texture is layered, meaning multiple elements build over one another rather than keeping things sparse; that is worth noting for listeners who find density fatiguing even at low volume. At 90 beats per minute the tempo is unhurried and steady. Predictability is medium. Misophonia triggers were not assessed for this recording. Tagged for anxiety relief and sleep, it fits listeners who want a narrow, consistent volume envelope with a calm pace. The layered texture is the one variable to watch — calm and warm in mood, this track earns those tags through volume consistency rather than through sonic sparseness.
Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: calm, warm
"Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo
90 BPM, dynamic range 5/10, layered texture, soft vocals. Sits in the middle band — neither built for stillness nor pitched at workout intensity. Whether it works for a given moment depends more on mood and lyrical content than on the acoustic profile. The full sensory breakdown follows.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 5/10 is within the normal pop-mix band. There is variation between verse and chorus, but it's the kind of variation most listeners encounter routinely.
Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: soft vocals.
Where this sits in Yo La Tengo's catalog
We have 2 songs from Yo La Tengo in the library. Of those, 1 are rated Safe, 1 Moderate, and 0 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 5/10 sits above the artist average of 4.0, making it the #1 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
1997 context
Released in 1997. We have 389 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.6/10. This track is quieter / less dynamic than the year average. Explore more from the 1990s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
How fast is "Autumn Sweater"?
90 BPM — Medium (midtempo / pop ballad)
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.
Morning coffee, deep work, commute wind-down.
Browse more songs at 90 BPM.
When "Autumn Sweater" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
Maybe — fine for routine work, but the mid-song changes may pull attention during deep focus.
No — 90 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
Not really — it's pleasant but doesn't hit hard enough for cathartic listening.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
Jazz for Anxiety Relief: Which Subgenres Help and Which Overwhelm
Jazz for Anxiety Relief: Which Subgenres Help and Which Overwhelm — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Calming Music for Sensory Overload
How to find calming music during sensory overload. A warm guide for listeners whose senses take in more than they can filter, and for the pe…
The Calmest Songs We’ve Ever Measured
Out of 19,144 songs scored for intensity, these measure as the very calmest — the gentlest, steadiest, lowest-energy music in the library. A…
Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
See how “Autumn Sweater” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
Listen on
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For calm, low-stimulation listening
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-06-20. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 23% of songs, calmer than the other 77%. Its intensity reading of 35/100 comes from a dynamic range of 5/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and soft vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 88% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1997 in context
The 389 songs we’ve measured from 1997 average a dynamic range of 6.6/10. At 5/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Autumn Sweater"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo?
"Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo has a tempo of 90 BPM (Andante (walking pace)). At half-time that is 45 BPM, and at double-time 180 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo?
"Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 5/10, mild sudden changes, layered texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Autumn Sweater" — what is its dynamic range?
"Autumn Sweater" has a dynamic range of 5/10. Within normal pop-mix variation. Movement between verse and chorus but nothing dramatic.
Does "Autumn Sweater" have sudden or surprising changes?
"Autumn Sweater" has mild sudden changes — one or two transitions worth knowing about, but they are musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
What is "Autumn Sweater" best for?
In our library "Autumn Sweater" is recommended for: anxiety relief, sleep. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Autumn Sweater" released?
"Autumn Sweater" is from 1997, on the album "I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One". It appears in our 1990s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Autumn Sweater"?
We tag "Autumn Sweater" as calm, warm. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Autumn Sweater"?
The vocal style is soft vocals.
Is "Autumn Sweater" good for running?
Not really — at 90 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "Autumn Sweater" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (5/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Autumn Sweater" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Contains transitions that will wake you up.
Should I listen to "Autumn Sweater"?
"Autumn Sweater" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
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