Torcher

The Beautiful Sounds of… (Tim/Kerr)
by Lex Marburger

With pretty female vocals and a power trio, Torcher needs a lot of power to rise to the top. Luckily, they have it, right in the guitar. Aggressive guitar is always the perfect complement to a breathy voice. Michael Belfer (who claims to have pronounced psychic abilities) can make his guitar churn and stampede and then back off, giving room to songwriter Paula Keyth’s depressingly sexy vocals. The words stroke your face like velvet, while the content makes you hang your head in abject misery. In her own words, she wants “to express grief, disgust… love.” They grind and stamp their way through the cold, gray rain of the day, working their way towards the north side of town, longingly envisioning the fireplace and shower awaiting them.