‘Sprinter’
Torres (Partisan)
4 stars out of 5
I’ve spent the past couple years singing the praises of young Mackenzie Scott — aka Torres — who absolutely blew me away with her 2013 self-titled debut album. It was a powerful collection of folk-leaning indie rock that served notice that the (then) 22-year-old was a force to be reckoned with. Sophomore platter “Sprinter” avoids any fear of a sophomore slump as Torres weaves her spell yet again.
Perhaps half a notch below its near-perfect predecessor (though still MUCH better than 90 percent of the albums being released these days), “Sprinter” is an intriguing gathering of nine tunes that shows the husky-voiced Torres’ growth as a singer/songwriter.
Torres comes out of gate swinging with the dynamic one-two punch of “Strange Hellos” and “New Skin,” and later scores with keepers “A Proper Polish Welcome,” the title track, “Ferris Wheel” and “The Exchange.” Sadly, her current tour doesn’t include a stop in the Pittsburgh area. Here’s hoping she decides to come to town in the near future. (Jeffrey Sisk)
Pittsburgh In Tune 