''Sprinter'' is the second studio album by Torres (Mackenzie Scott), released May 5, 2015 on Partisan Records. The album was recorded in England and was influenced by Scott's upbringing in Georgia, United States. The album received mostly positive reviews upon release, with critics praising Scott's lyricism.

Recording

Production

''Sprinter'' was recorded in Bridport with co-producer Rob Ellis and in Bristol with Portishead member Adrian Utley. Scott and Ellis had kept in touch after the first time Torres performed in London, and Scott decided to choose Ellis as her producer when she was looking to make a new album.Schonfeld, Zach
Violent Joys, Violent Loneliness: A Chat With Torres’s Mackenzie Scott
Newsweek. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015. The album features contributions from Utley, Scanner and

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

bassist Ian Oliver.Valish, Frank
TORRES - Mackenzie Scott on “Sprinter”
Under the Radar. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.Torres - Sprinter
discogs. Retrieved 10 December 2015.

Music and lyrics

The music on ''Sprinter'' was inspired by

1990s File:1990s decade montage.png, From top left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth after it was launched in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War ...

alternative rock. Artists that have been cited as influence on the album include Nirvana, Funkadelic and

.Torres - Sprinter
Partisan Records. Retrieved 13 December 2015. Scott's upbringing in

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...

, especially her experiences in the

Baptist Church Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

influenced the album's lyrics. The lyrics on ''Sprinter'' were also influenced by the writings of John Edward Williams, J. D. Salinger,

John Donne John Donne ( ; 22 January 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a clergy, cleric in the Church of England. Under royal patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's ...

and Joan Didion. The title track, "Sprinter," touches upon Scott's past running

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

in high school and her desires to run away from her past. "A Proper Polish Welcome" was Scott's "attempt to rewrite the story of

Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...

and the Ark."Hutchison, Kate
Torres: 'You’re not really an American any more when you’re in the ocean'
''The Guardian''. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Scott wrote "Son, You Are No Island" as a reaction to being betrayed by someone she really cared about, with Scott attempting to be in a position of power (specifically the Voice of God) over her betrayer. "The Exchange," the album's closing track, is about Scott's adopted mother who, like Scott, was also adopted.Greene, Jayson
I'm Drowning But I'm OK: The Revelations of Torres' Mackenzie Scott
Pitchfork Media. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.

Reception

''Sprinter'' has received mostly positive reviews. On Metacritic, the album has a score of 81 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim." ''

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, A liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves a ...

''s Zach Schonfeld praised album, writing "it already feels like these songs have been around for a long time, which is reasonable indication that they will be with us for a while."Schonfeld, Zach
Torres: Sprinter Review
''Paste''. 5 May 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Philip Cosores of '' Consequence of Sound'' praised the Scott's lyrics, writing "Scott is only 24, but she writes with the courage of someone much older. She is already willing to bear the wisdom and insight that comes from her Southern Baptist roots — and from leaving them behind." In another positive review, '' Pitchfork''s Jillian Mapes wrote "When Scott can find the right balance of these elements—dark, introspective, midtempo, highly distorted, and in the four to five-minute range—she hits a sweet spot, like on 'New Skin' and the album's title track." In a mixed review, '' The Guardian''s Tim Jonze praised the lyrics but criticized the music, writing "If the lyrics are revealing and off-kilter, the music is not always so. Producer Rob Ellis .helps hone ''Sprinter''’s 90s alt-rock sound, but it’s a rather familiar one, and there’s not always enough melody to help these intimate stories take flight."

Accolades

Track listing

#"Strange Hellos" - 3:55 #"New Skin" - 5:16 #"Son, You Are No Island " - 4:28 #"A Proper Polish Welcome " - 5:04 #"Sprinter" - 4:44 #"Cowboy Guilt" - 2:49 #"Ferris Wheel" - 7:01 #"The Harshest Light" - 4:07 #"The Exchange" - 7:48

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.Sprinter - Torres
AllMusic. Retrieved 13 December 2015. *B.J. Cole – Pedal steel *Rob Ellis – drums, location recording, Moog synthesizer, percussion, producer, stylophone, synthesizer, background vocals *Chris Hamilton – engineer, guitar, Moog synthesizer, programming, treatments *Joe Lambert – mastering *Ian Oliver – bass *Casey Pierce – cover photo *Scanner – synthesizer, treatments *Mackenzie Scott – guitar, Lyricist, producer, synthesizer, vocals *Adrian Utley – guitar, Moog synthesizer, Oberheim synthesizer, Temple Blocks *

Nicolas Vernhes Nicolas Vernhes is a French record producer, recording engineer and record label owner. He is best known for his work with the American indie rock acts Animal Collective, Deerhunter, The Fiery Furnaces, Dirty Projectors, Wild Nothing and The War ...

– mixing

Charts

References

External links

Partisan Records' page on ''Sprinter''
{{Authority control 2015 albums Torres (musician) albums Partisan Records albums