Mackenzie Scott records under the TORRES banner and announced Silver Tongue, her fourth album and debut for Merge Records will drop January 31st, as well as releasing the first single “Good Scare” today, with news of a tour. 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.

“Regarding ‘Good Scare,’ I guess I could say that falling in love is a lot like the Superman crawl,” says Scott. “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 Tour Dates:
Sat. Nov. 2 – Durham, NC @ Motorco (early & late shows) *
Mon. Nov. 4 – Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere *
Tue. Nov. 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live *
Wed. Nov. 6 – Somerville, MA @ Somerville Theatre *
Thu. Nov. 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Murmrr Theatre *
Fri. Jan. 31 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Sultan Room (record release show)
Tue. March 3 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana
Wed. March 4 – Manchester, UK @ YES Basement
Thu. March 5 – London, UK @ Oslo
Fri. March 6 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique (Witloof Bar)
Sat. March 7 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso (Upstairs)
Mon. March 9 – Hamburg, DE @ Turmzimmer
Tue. March 10 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
Wed. March 11 – Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghain
Thu. March 12 – Heidelberg, DE @ Karlstorbahnhof
Fri. March 13 – Zürich, CH @ Rote Fabrik
Sat. March 14 – Torino, IT @ Circolo della Musica
Mon. March 16 – Paris, FR @ Le Pop Up du Label

* = solo performance supporting Superchunk