TORRES—moniker of Mackenzie Scott—announces Silver Tongue, her fourth album and Merge debut out January 31, along with lead single “Good Scare” and tour. Named after those whose words are so potent they cause the people and beings around them to vibrate, Silver Tongue is a full-scale realization of the world Scott has created over TORRES’ last few albums, and the first TORRES record produced solely by Scott. Silver Tongue fastidiously chronicles the impulses that make up desire—from the dreamy first blushes of infatuation through the slightly terrifying wonder that accompanies connection with another. 

Throughout Silver Tongue, Scott wrestles with the highs and lows of what “being in love” might mean over heady guitars and swirling synths. Even when singing in more subdued tones, her voice is fervent, her lyrics stirring and unyielding as she draws from both the divine and the everyday. While potent vocal hooks punctuate songs, the knottiness lurking underneath reflects Scott’s real-time processing of her emotions while making the record. This is immediate in album opener “Good Scare,” which details the courage one finds when chasing the person of one’s dreams.

Scott elaborates:

Regarding “Good Scare,” I guess I could say that falling in love is a lot like the Superman crawl. If you’re not familiar with Superman’s crawl, it’s a terrifying maneuver used in spelunking that’s only performed when certain passages are too narrow, so a person has to hold one arm against the body and the other above the head, all while trying to crawl forward. When you fall in love with someone, it’s scary like the Superman’s crawl, but you have no choice but to keep moving forward even though you have no idea what’s ahead of you.

TORRES’ music has long navigated the space between the physical and the metaphysical, and Silver Tongue faces that conflict head-on, examining the ways in which the actions of others can stir up deep-seated feelings and seemingly alter the space in which one exists.

TORRES will play a record release show at The Sultan Room in New York on January 31. Her European tour runs throughout March; tickets go on sale Thursday morning 9am UK / 10am CET. And just announced: TORRES will perform solo as the opener for Superchunk on their upcoming Acoustic Foolish east coast dates.

Silver Tongue is available for pre-order on CD, LP, and “Saturn’s return” (half silver, half green) Peak Vinyl in the Merge store where, while supplies last, all Peak Vinyl pre-orders come with a free TORRES 7-inch featuring two non-album tracks.

TORRES on tour:
Nov 02 Durham, NC – Motorco (early show) [SOLD OUT]*
Nov 02 Durham, NC – Motorco (late show)*
Nov 04 Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere*
Nov 05 Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live*
Nov 06 Somerville, MA – Somerville Theatre*
Nov 07 Brooklyn, NY – Murmrr Theatre*
Jan 31 Brooklyn, NY – The Sultan Room (record release show)
Mar 03 Bristol, UK – The Louisiana
Mar 04 Manchester, UK – YES
Mar 05 London, UK – Oslo
Mar 06 Brussels, BE – Botanique (Witloof Bar)
Mar 07 Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso (Upstairs)
Mar 09 Hamburg, DE – Uebel & Gefährlich (Turmzimmer)
Mar 10 Copenhagen, DK – Loppen
Mar 11 Berlin, DE – Kantine am Berghain
Mar 12 Heidelberg, DE – Karlstorbahnhof
Mar 13 Zürich, CH – Rote Fabrik
Mar 14 Torino, IT – Circolo della Musica
Mar 16 Paris, FR – Le Pop Up du Label
* solo performance, w/ Superchunk