Performer Notes

Personnel: Mackenzie Scott (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, drum programming); Cameron Kapoor (guitar, synthesizer); Ben Christophers (omnichord, synthesizer); Erin Manning (keyboards, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer); Chris Hamilton (synthesizer, drum machine); Rob Ellis (synthesizer, electronic percussion, drum programming); Adrian Utley (synthesizer); Dahm Majuri Cipolla (drums).
Audio Mixer: David Tolomei.
Recording information: Eve Studios, Manchester, UK; Silkhay, Bridport, UK.
Photographer: Ashley Connor.
Torres' Mackenzie Scott described Three Futures as a celebration of the body, a concept that she extends to the cover image, where she sits with a direct gaze and a traditionally masculine pose, taking up as much space as she can. The music on her third album isn't always as blunt, but the feeling of being as present as possible is unmistakable. There was already quite a bit presence -- or at least guts -- on her previous album Sprinter, but as much as she brooded and raged, there was a theoretical quality to the album that gave it an intellectual distance. This time, Scott's songs seem to be coming from a more authentic place, even when she sounds like an alien exploring what it's like to be in a human body, as on "Righteous Woman," where the flesh wants what the brain knows will end badly, or on "Skim," where she asks "Can you probe the ends of the almighty/Did he hold your hips with authority?" before a distorted guitar solo erupts. Working once again with Sprinter producer Rob Ellis, Scott spends most of Three Futures delving into the quietly unsettling side of her music as she explores sensuality in its many forms. The album's sparse yet expressive electronics are pure and streamlined, conveying moods that are easier to feel than describe on songs like "Greener Stretch," "Marble Focus," and "To Be Given a Body," where they're allowed to swell and unfold in lengthy passages that express the importance of being in -- and being grateful for -- the moment. These refined sounds put the focus on the intimacy of Three Futures' words. While writing the album, Scott took inspiration from writers such as Lorrie Moore and Ta-Nehisi Coates, both authors with many dimensions to their work. Similarly, she imbues her lyrics with poignant, humorous, and sometimes cryptic layers: On the painfully beautiful title track, she fuses liberation with compassion as she tells an ex "I hope that's what you'll remember/Not how I left but how I entered" over warm synths that ebb and flow like breath. Later, on "Concrete Ganesha," she expresses dread in the most abstract terms: "You moved like a sunroom/Bracing for Sunday evening." Despite Three Futures' sophistication, the awkward parts of Scott's delivery are still there, and used even more effectively and affectingly, whether on the terrifying "Helen in the Woods" or the sweetly off-kilter love song "Bad Baby Pie." Moments like these are filled with life in a way new to Torres' music, and the fascinating ways she puts songs and stories together on Three Futures reveals more with each listen. ~ Heather Phares

Professional Reviews

Spin - "[T]he most striking thing about it is how boldly Scott has revamped her sound....THREE FUTURES is a slow burn, but Torres doesn't require speed, not when she can hold our attention with something more akin to intense eye contact."

Paste (magazine) - "THREE FUTURES is concerned with ecstasy and self-affirmation, but Scott's delivery -- a low, haunted growl -- remains tense and unsettled, her writing sharp and quite visual in its observations..."

Pitchfork (Website) - "The new album from singer-songwriter Mackenzie Scott is her most ambitious work by an order of magnitude. It's an electric-electronic hybrid that is lush, physical, and full of contradictions."

Album: Three Futures
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Tongue Slap Your Brains Out	More Info...
2)	Skim	More Info...
3)	Three Futures	More Info...
4)	Righteous Woman	More Info...
5)	Greener Stretch	More Info...
6)	Helen in the Woods	More Info...
7)	Bad Baby Pie	More Info...
8)	Marble Focus	More Info...
9)	Concrete Ganesha	More Info...
10)	To Be Given a Body	More Info...

Album: Three Futures
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Tongue Slap Your Brains Out	More Info...
2)	Skim	More Info...
3)	Three Futures	More Info...
4)	Righteous Woman	More Info...
5)	Greener Stretch	More Info...
6)	Helen in the Woods	More Info...
7)	Bad Baby Pie	More Info...
8)	Marble Focus	More Info...
9)	Concrete Ganesha	More Info...
10)	To Be Given a Body	More Info...