Written by Tom Bedding
Arlo Parks has been one of the most admired new artists of the last two years and with each step towards the debut album, there has been more and more attention on her. Sadly, I feel like I have missed her ascent to having one fo the most anticipated debut records of 2021.
However looking back to see how she released some compelling and lockdown related music, there is no doubt how inspiring and exciting it is to see. With her debut record now out for all to hear, can Arlo Parks deliver a record that matches the acclaim she has already got?
The opening of the record is a short poem that Arlo Parks created in her bedroom, which shares the same name as the album. Aiming to bring in the listener in with a gentle and heartwarming welcome, the lyrics of, ‘feeding your cat or slicing artichokes hearts’, truly gives you a warm greeting. It feels like we have just walked into the poet/songwriter’s home and are about to put the needle down on the record, getting cosy and waiting to hear what Arlo has in store for us.
The way the lyrics flow so impressively on ‘Hurt’ over a great bass line and a rhythm, that delicately has a sense of drive, is highly impressive. We hear the artist sing about the sense of how the hurt, one could be feeling in the present, won’t last forever and that the future won’t feature such a dark feeling. It is a really strong cut on the album, making you feel like you do have a future to keep pushing for and is a great showpiece of how relatable so many of her lyrics is, to so many.
‘Too Good’ has such a soul and 70’s sampling vibe, it is co-written with Paul Epworth and is a much needed dynamic shift on a record. The guitar licks played by Arlo are very slick, giving this number a nice shine to it alongside a variety of keyboards, that give the song a cool depth of textures.
With regards sonically to ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’, it does have recurring textures and tones to it. Mostly all very enjoyable and interesting, however when an artist is focusing mostly on what is being said rather than what it sounds like, there could be a sense of repetition and the album does indeed battle with that at times.
‘Can’t feel her legs and feeling like a liar at best, you’re not alone like you think you are’ is sung on the single, ‘Hope’. Based on a friend who feels trapped and alone, the song really resonated with many upon its release last year. We hear some very soft and soothing horns deep in the mix which is a lovely touch and the chord progression played by the piano, is amazing. The ‘bedroom pop’ style of the production is for sure one of the charms of the record but the mixing on this solid song, does prevent it to embellish itself to be as impressive as it could have been.
Following on, we have the amazing single that is ‘Caroline’, which was inspired from the songwriter witnessing a couples argument on Oxford Street. The way Arlo Parks sets the scene is so impressive, you can clearly see in your mind the whole scene and emotion of it all.
The beat is infectious, while the groove matches The Beatles inspired harmonies and that combination effectively creates a tone of clarity that the couple may experience, after the rage of the confrontation, dwindles away. The slight shoegazy song is a definite highlight on ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’ as it not only captures your imagination with its lyrics but also with its music.
The huge song of lockdown was indeed ‘Black Dog’ and sadly, as previously mentioned, it was something that did pass me by ( does it make me more sad than the actual track,I can't tell). The song is a fantastic piece of work that is delicate but impactful to its core. Within it, we have an emotional sounding piano that is fantastic and does remind me of the Australian songwriter, Stella Donnelly.
The song focuses on trying to support and comprehend a loved ones struggle with depression. It feels like its made for anyone, either from dealing with mental health problems or experiencing the damaging affect of it in anyway. Arlo Parks’ poetry background really does shine here, with moments like ‘I’d like the grief of your lips, you do your eyes like Robert Smith’ and the the simple but impactful lyric of ‘It’s so cruel, what your mind can do for no reason’.
As we enter the second half of the LP, the song ‘Green Eyes’ has such a Frank Ocean inspiration within its beat, while the lyrics impressively hits on many topics about self acceptance and in particular, ones own sexuality. ‘Could not hold my in public, felt their eyes judging our love’ truly captures the constant struggles so many people face, with simply wanting to be themselves and Parks delivers constant relatable lyrics for so many, in this song.
credit: Charlie Cummings
‘Just Go’ has a fun, funky guitar in it and the chorus is staple late 90’s/early 00’s RnB, yet the verses do go missing. Obviously, Arlo Parks wants to push her talent with words and rhyming in her music, though I think this song needed to be tackled more with its musicianship as it could have gone to some interesting places.
The debut album then goes into a darker ambiance with ‘For Violet’. It is a song where the artist is looking back at the time when growing up, where you release how heavy the world can be. The melody is possibly the weakest on the album sadly, while the synths leave a sinister mood to the song but they could have still been utilised more.
More of a classic Parks sound is found after the only dip on the record, in ‘Eugene’. What is interesting here is that the lyrics go into places of a dream like state, something we don’t hear much from the artist as she normally touches on more real things. The production throughout the number is impressive, the purity of the guitar deep within the mix is incredibly lush.
credit: Anthony Harvey
‘Bluish’ then looks at how unhealthy friendships can be when you become too close, it’s an interesting topic that I really enjoyed hearing the singer get into. The strangling and clingy nature of this potential friend is captured with the vocal mix fantastically, and naturally, Arlo Parks wonderful talent with words shines on the cut.
To conclude the highly impressive debut record by Arlo Parks, we have what feels like an end of credits vibe with ‘Portra 400’. The beautiful sounds here are a delight, with the melody being formidably strong again. There’s a great sense of reflection on what has come before on the song, which leaves thoughts of how relatable and incredibly amazing this amazing songwriter is.
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