Artist: Torres Added 8-24-22
Album: Thirstier (2021)
Label: Merge
Try: 1(!!), 2, 4, 6(!), 7(!!), 8(!!), 9, 10(!!) FCC Clean
This is Mackenzie Scott’s 5th (6th?) studio album under the moniker ‘Torres,’ her most well-known probably being 2015’s Sprinter, of which I am a big fan. Her sound and image shifted from indie rocker dream girl to sexually-confident gives-no-fucks woman between 2015’s Sprinter and 2017’s Three Futures. The cover here (and for her 2020 album Silver Tongue) was painted by longtime girlfriend (wife? idk if they’re married or not) Jenna Gribbon, a NYC painter who paints intimate scenes of friends and lovers, fluttering somewhere between domesticity and voyeurism (check out her stuff if you like art, it’s pretty cool). All this to say, she has Matured. This album is stronger, rockier, unapologetic. Pushing indie rock mixed with lots of reverb, pounding beats, and synth, to make a strong, rockin’ album to dance to. #2 starts a little more mellowed out and then builds up to its refrain. #3 is a little calmer, more orchestral with its harmonies, more like “stereotypical” indie acoustic guitar stuff (reminds me of Kimya Dawson). #5 is a softer acoustic guitar tune about her dad, who fell from 30 feet and became paralyzed from the waist down. RIYL Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers (the harder stuff), Speedy Ortiz, Bully, Julien Baker (later stuff), Waxahatchee - DC
"Music from the Merits" is an album review series showcasing the internal reviews that are taped to the physical albums we add to the station. This is what's written to help DJs see what the album sounds like and help them decide if they want to play it. All albums must be reviewed before they can be added to our library. Formatting has been kept as-is printed for the physical release.