Torres has released a new Garbage cover. That is to say she's shared a cover of the song "Special" by the seminal 90s punk band Garbage, as the group celebrates the 20th anniversary of its self-titled debut album and the two groups prepare to set off on a joint U.S. tour.
Garbage was released in 1995 and dominated underground culture as well as the charts for the better part of the year, with the single "Queer" making it into the top 20. The pop album transcended genres and permeated cultural boundaries, becoming an anthem of youth and queer culture in the 90s.
Or as Stereogum's T. Cole Rachel puts it so perfectly, "If you were of college-age back in 1995, Garbage was the kind of record that everyone seemed to have some sort of relationship with - from somber gay goth boys like myself blasting "Vow" at peak volume while smoking clove cigarettes in their dorm rooms to legions of newly converted Shirley Manson acolytes aggressively dyeing their hair red and stomping around campus in combat boots and mini-dresses."
Torres' voice on the opening of the track is so deep and foreboding that it almost doesn't sound like her at first. The 6-minute song takes you on a journey of self-discovery as you debate giving up after a devastating heartbreak only to find the faintest glimmer of hope to drag you back. It's the kind of song that allows you to sit back and get swept away in the emotion conveyed in both the lyrics and soul-filling instrumentals.
"Special" is as big and looming as Torres' 2015 sophomore album Splinter, which has garnered her a lot of attention this year for her brilliant song writing and gorgeously eerie soundscapes.
The two are a perfect match for each other as they take off on a joint fall tour. Check out all the tour dates below and listen to the song via Soundcloud.
Torres' Fall Tour Schedule via Stereogum:
10/02 Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle w/ Brandi Carlile
10/03 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium w/ Brandi Carlile
10/06 San Diego, CA @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay w/ Garbage
10/07 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater w/ Garbage
10/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre-Los Angeles w/ Garbage
10/10 Las Vegas, NV @ The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas (Boulevard Pool) w/ Garbage
10/13 Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center w/ Garbage
10/14 Austin, TX @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheatre w/ Garbage
10/15 Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom w/ Garbage
10/17 Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre w/ Garbage
10/18 Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater w/ Garbage
10/19 Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre w/ Garbage
10/21 Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre w/ Garbage
10/22 Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall w/ Garbage
10/23 Westbury, NY @ The Space at Westbury w/ Garbage
10/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre w/ Garbage
10/25 Kingston, NY @ BSP Kingston w/ Garbage
10/26 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre w/ Garbage
10/27 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern w/ Garbage
10/28 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ Garbage
10/29 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ Garbage
