Torres: Tiny Desk Concert

By
Bob Boilen
WNYC | Aug 10, 2015

Mackenzie Scott's quiet early music gave hints that she could get loud, but I still wasn't prepared for the ferocity of her new work. Recording as Torres, she spends her new album Sprinter unleashing as-yet-unheard intensity and power, all while performing with incredible prowess.

Sprinter is the album that taught me to love Torres' music: It channels clear influences like Patti Smith and PJ Harvey, while still hinting at further growth. (She's only 24.)

Her band is extraordinary, too. Guitarist Cameron Kapoor provides a perfect level of controlled noise under Scott's alternately melodic and aggressive playing, while Erin Manning contributes haunting harmonies and drummer Dominic Cipolla provides spacious punctuation. All of which made for a perfect storm, right in NPR's offices.

Set List

  • "New Skin"
  • "A Proper Polish Welcome"
  • "The Harshest Light"

Credits

Producers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Walker; Audio Engineer: Brian Jarboe; Videographers: Morgan Walker, Colin Marshall, Lani Milton; Assistant Producer: Elena Saavedra Buckley; photo by Lydia Thompson/NPR

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
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Bob Boilen

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