Album Review Torres - Thirstier

This fifth record from Orlando singer-songwriter Mackenzie Scott sets its stall out early; opener ‘Are You Sleepwalking?’ starts with a crunching, grungy riff that suggests Torres has made her first out-and-out rock album, only for the chorus to veer off gleefully into considerably dancier territory. This ten-track effort feels like it was made with the handbrake off; it follows sharply on the heels of last year’s ‘Silver Tongue’, but it seems as if Torres has broadened her horizons within that quick turnaround time, finding room for all manner of stylistic twists and turns over the course of ‘Thirstier’. ‘Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head’ is an exercise in driving, freewheeling country rock, whereas ‘Big Leap’ is a handsome, glacially-paced confessional. There’s space on the record for both the softly anthemic title track, the heartbroken key line of which ties the album together - “The more of you I drink, the thirstier I get” - and the synth-driven swagger of ‘Hand in the Air’. Elsewhere, there’s experimentation - closer ‘Keep the Devil Out’ flirts with electronic rock, while ‘Constant Tomorrowland’ is a decidedly off-kilter pop song - as well as classic, riff-driven indie rock songwriting, ‘Hug from a Dinosaur’ being a case in point. With ‘Thirstier’, Torres has delivered her most varied set of songs yet; trying on so many different costumes suits her.