Songs for Singles

Songs for Singles is an EP by the American rock band Torche. The album was released on September 21, 2010, through Hydra Head Records.[1] It is the first Torche album, and second release after the split single Chapter Ahead Being Fake, to not feature guitarist Juan Montoya.

Songs for Singles
Artwork for external "envelope" encasing the album packaging.
EP by
Torche
ReleasedSeptember 21, 2010
RecordedEarly 2010 at La Casa Nuñez in Miami, Florida
GenreStoner rock, alternative rock, stoner metal, sludge metal
Length21:47
LabelHydra Head (HYH-207)
ProducerJonathan Nuñez
Torche chronology
Chapter Ahead Being Fake
(2009)		 Songs for Singles
(2010)		 Torche / Part Chimp
(2011)

Writing and recording

Torche was originally planning on writing their third full-length album, and follow up to 2008's Meanderthal, but ended up releasing an EP of songs they were working on as Songs for Singles instead. With little interest in writing another album similar to Meanderthal, they started writing songs that would be more fun to play in a live setting.[2] The group quickly recorded music for about 12 tracks for an album, but struggled to write lyrics and record vocals for the songs.[3] According to bassist Jonathan Nuñez, the music was too "full," and when Torche tried to incorporate vocals, "[...] It was like, 'Whoa.' It was kind of overwhelming a little bit."[3] Guitarist and singer Steve Brooks recorded his vocal tracks about a dozen different ways before settling on a composition that fit well with the music.[2] As a group, they also had to strip the musical parts of the songs down to a more simplified arrangement to fit in the vocal tracks, and due to the lengthy process, decided on releasing a short EP in the interest of time.[3] Originally, some of the songs written during these recording sessions that didn't end up on Songs for Singles were expected to be released on their following studio album.[3] However, Rick Smith later denied this claim.[4] The lyrics for Songs for Singles take on a stream of consciousness narrative perspective, and have been described as dream-like and nonsensical by Brooks. He also commented, "That's why I don't print the lyrics, actually. I don't want anyone overanalyzing every little stupid thing I say."[5]

Songs for Singles is the first album, and second release overall after the song "King Beef" released on Chapter Ahead Being Fake, to not feature second guitarist Juan Montoya. Torche has stated that they write and record faster and more efficiently without Montoya in the band.[6] Nuñez commented, "We always wrote as a group even with Juan in the band... But when we became a three-piece, it was a really productive process. With Me, Rick, and Steve, I think we work fairly quickly, we know what we want, and we know how to get it, and we know when it's right."[6]

Songs for Singles was self-produced by the band members themselves in order to achieve a more raw sound. Nuñez stated that their goal during production was to create "something that connects a little more to what we feel it should sound like, and what it will hopefully sound like live."[3] By this point in the band's career, the only Torche album that was not self-produced was Meanderthal which was recorded with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. Retrospectively, after the EP's release, Torche expressed their gratitude for working with a third-party in the studio, and suggested that Songs for Singles may be their final self-produced record. Brooks commented, "It's easier to work with other people sometimes, and we were driving ourselves a little crazy on this one... I think we're gonna do [the next album] with someone else, just to eliminate over-analyzing things and nitpicking little things, and having an outside ear help guide us."[7]

Release

Prior to the release of the EP, the opening track "U.F.O." was previously made available on a free Hydra Head Records downloadable sampler. However, this early version was jokingly contained David Lee Roth's vocal track from Van Halen's 1978 single "Runnin' with the Devil," and was created by Hydra Head without Torche's knowledge.[8][9] Roth's vocal track was leaked online in 2008, and has since become an Internet meme as various mashups with other famous songs have been posted on the web.[10] The version of "U.F.O." on Songs for Singles doesn't feature Roth's vocals. The song was also released as a stand-alone digital single on August 24, 2010,[5] featuring similar cover art to Songs for Singles.[11] A music video for the single directed by Andrew Cox was released on October 11, 2010.[12]

Songs for Singles was posted in full on the band's MySpace for streaming on the weekend before its official release.[13]

Two previously unreleased songs, "Pow Wow" and "80s Prom Song," recorded during the Songs for Singles sessions, were released as a flexi disc single in Decibel magazine's March 2012 issue.[14]

Reception

Critical and commercial reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(74/100)[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[16]
BBC Music(favorable)[17]
Crawdaddy!(favorable)[18]
Decibel(9/10)[19]
Exclaim!(favorable)[20]
Pitchfork Media(7.4/10)[21]
PopMatters(7/10)[22]
Rock Sound(7/10)[23]
Spin(8/10)[24]
The A.V. Club(unfavorable)[25]

Songs for Singles garnered generally positive reviews from music critics. Much praise was given to the album's relatively lengthy final two tracks: "Face the Wall," and "Out Again." Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media commented that these tracks are where the album "really takes off" and that they "slow down their attack noticeably, letting space and dynamics creep into the guitar-storm."[21] James Greene Jr. of Crawdaddy! described these two songs as the album's "real meat" and continued, "Rolling out like methodic and slow-moving urban assault vehicles, these cuts will probably save Torche's latest EP from the danger of being written off as 'less than essential' by our unwashed critical masses."[18]

Songs for Singles became Torche's first charting album, which peaked at number 38 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers albums chart.[26]

Accolades
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Exclaim![4] Canada Top 10 Metal Albums of the Year 2010 1
Punknews.org[27] US Top 10 EPs of the Year 2010 2 (tie)
Rock Sound[28] UK Top 75 Albums of the Year 2010 22

Track listing
  1. "U.F.O." – 1:53
  2. "Lay Low" – 0:51
  3. "Hideaway" – 2:03
  4. "Arrowhead" – 2:17
  5. "Shine on My Old Ways" – 1:49
  6. "Cast into Unknown" – 2:11
  7. "Face the Wall" – 4:32
  8. "Out Again" – 6:11

[16]

Personnel

Torche[29]

Production and recording[29]

  • Rob Gonnella – mastering
  • Ryan Haft – assistant engineer
  • Jonathan Nuñez – drum engineering, engineer, mixing
  • Nicholas Zampiello – mastering

Artwork and design[29]

  • Howard Maxwell Johnston – photography
  • James OMara – layout
  • Torche – artwork

References
  1. Shotwell, James (July 1, 2010). "Torche have Songs for Singles". Alternative Press. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  2. Fury, Jeanne (November 2010). "This Is Why They're Hot". Decibel. No. 73. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Red Flag Media Inc. p. 43. ISSN 1557-2137.
  3. Begrand, Adrien (June 2010). "In the Studio: Torche". Decibel. No. #68. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Red Flag Media Inc. p. 18. ISSN 1557-2137.
  4. Sam, Sutherland (December 2010). "Metal: Year in Review 2010". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  5. S, Jack (August 19, 2010). "Torche Announce US Tour w/ High on Fire and Kylesa". AltSounds. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
  6. Landau, Erica K. (July 14, 2010). "Q&A: Jonathan Nunez from Torche, Playing Respectable Street Saturday". New Times Broward-Palm Beach. The Village Voice. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  7. Meyer, Mike R. (September 23, 2010). "Torche's Steve Brooks Discusses His Band's New EP and Being Gay in Hard Rock Group". Phoenix New Times. Village Voice Media. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  8. Brandon (July 1, 2010). "Torche Songs For Singles Album Info". Stereogum. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  9. Pratt, Greg (July 2, 2010). "Torche to Release Songs for Singles in September". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  10. Lymangrover, Jason (February 7, 2008). "The Diamond Album: David Lee Roth Needs a Beat". Allmusic. Archived from the original on February 11, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  11. "U.F.O. – Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  12. "Torche Releases Their Video For 'U.F.O.'". Bloody Disgusting. October 11, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
  13. Paul, Aubin (September 17, 2010). "Media: Torche: "Songs for Singles"". Punknews.org. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  14. Bonazelli, Andrew (January 19, 2012). "Fear, Emptiness, Decibel: Listen to the New Torche Flexi Disc!". MetalSucks. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  15. "Songs for Singles – Torche". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
  16. Heaney, Gregory. "Songs for Singles – Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  17. Diver, Mike (September 22, 2010). "Noisy rock that your parents could love? It's not right, but it is brilliant". BBC. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  18. Greene Jr., James (September 21, 2010). "Review: Songs for Singles". Crawdaddy!. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  19. Bonazelli, Andrew (October 2010). "Goin' Steady". Decibel. No. 72. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Red Flag Media Inc. p. 105. ISSN 1557-2137.
  20. Carman, Keith (September 2010). "Review of Songs for Singles". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  21. Breihan, Tom (September 16, 2010). "Review: Songs for Singles". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  22. Aspray, Benjamin (October 15, 2010). "Review: Songs for Singles". PopMatters. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
  23. Withers, Pete (September 19, 2010). "Torche - Songs For Singles". Rock Sound. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  24. Gross, Joe (September 9, 2010). "Pitilessly rendering other heavy rockers lightweight". Spin. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  25. Pierce, Leonard (September 8, 2010). "Extended play". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  26. "Heatseekers Albums – Torche". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  27. PunkNews Staff (December 31, 2010). "Best of 2010: Punknews.org's picks". Punknews.org. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  28. "Top 75 Albums Of 2010 Part Four: 30–16". Rock Sound. December 16, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  29. "Songs for Singles – Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
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