Much of the praise for Torres' early albums centered on her music's complexity, which was as much of a curse as it was a blessing. Though Mackenzie Scott excelled at nuanced songwriting on Three Futures' introspective experiments and on the contemplative Silver Tongue, her music may have been a little too subtle to get the attention of easily distracted listeners. On Thirstier, however, she grabs her audience immediately and shakes them -- and herself -- out of complacency. In several ways, Scott makes it easier to absorb her fifth album's mix of rock, country, and synth pop: The songs are shorter, the choruses come quicker, and everything sounds louder and brighter. Where her music previously felt like it could drift away at any moment, this time she nails down every melody and hook. Nowhere is this more apparent than on "Hug from a Dinosaur." Scott's version of a feel-good hit is filled with '90s-era chugging guitars, fizzy synths, and most importantly, an immediate and contagious happiness. On virtually all of Thirstier's songs, Scott takes action to get what she wants as much as she demands her listeners' attention, whether she's chasing answers on the shape-shifting electro rock of "Are You Sleepwalking?" or digging herself out of hell on "Keep the Devil Out," a fascinatingly fraught mix of serene verses and glowering, industrial-leaning choruses. Anytime Thirstier threatens to get too whispery, Scott cranks up the volume; on the title track, she blows up her pensive musings with the kind of declarations ("the more of you I drink/the thirstier I get") that require bombastic blasts backing them. Even though she turns everything up, she doesn't dumb things down, and she manages to amplify her music's intimacy on gorgeous moments such as "Don't Go Puttin' Wishes in My Head," which builds on Silver Tongue's radiant realizations with some of her tightest songwriting. If anything, Thirstier highlights what a creative lyricist she is, with songs like "Drive Me"'s romantic automotive imagery putting the spotlight on her skill at expressing universal emotions in unexpected, memorable ways. Not everything on the album is geared toward radio friendliness, but the songs that aren't earworms are still ear-catching: "Constant Tomorrowland"'s airy, futuristic folk and the dreamy electro-pop of "Kiss the Corners" should appease fans of Torres' artier work. On the whole, though, Scott's changes feel equally genuine and timely; she's grown more comfortable within herself on each album, and Thirstier's confidence and optimism arrived when listeners in the early 2020s were hungry for both. If making her music as big and loud as it is here is what it takes to get people to realize what they've been missing with her music, then Thirstier is a wild success.
© Heather Phares /TiVo