Arlo Parks – My Soft Machine
On My Soft Machine, introspective icon Arlo Parks practises an admirable gratitude for life in the face of some of its greatest challenges
Opening with the heavy sigh of Bruiseless – an expulsion of confusion around growing up – Arlo Parks simultaneously grieves the loss of the days when her 'eyes were still wide' and celebrates the bliss of true romance in her present life.
Parks’ vocal tone is particularly clear and crisp across My Soft Machine, with her sharp Ss and Cs cutting through the laid-back lo-fi instrumental of Impurities like a hot knife through butter. The cool, cushiony bass tone of Devotion is also one to listen out for, laying down a spongy foundation for the crunchy Avril Lavigne-inspired guitars and catchy synth melody to dance upon in the final choruses.
There are no overt leaps or shifts in the development of Parks’ sound from her Mercury Prize-winning debut Collapsed In Sunbeams, but there is something to be said of the unbridled confidence and general badassery she exudes on tracks like Weightless and Puppy. Parks also treats listeners to the undeniably beautiful Pegasus – a duet with queen of melancholy Phoebe Bridgers which serves up a delicate blend of their unique vocal identities. On My Soft Machine, introspective icon Arlo Parks practises an admirable gratitude for life in the face of some of its greatest challenges.
Listen to: Bruiseless, Devotion, Pegasus (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)