Arlo Parks - 'Blades'
Arlo Parks releases ‘Blades’: an infectious new track destined to make you move.
The highly anticipated sophomore album from Arlo Parks, My Soft Machine, will be released on 26 May, and ‘Blades’ is the latest taste of how the album will sound. The upbeat dance track released on Wednesday is the third single of the album, combining inspiration from the likes of Kaytranada, ESG, and 70s psychedelic rock. ‘Blades’ moves away from the sound of previous singles ‘Weightless’ and ‘Impurities’, which were both well-received by audiences, and touches on the genre of disco. The single was accompanied by a video directed by Bedroom, who also worked on the video for ‘Too Good’.
Arlo worked with producer Paul Epworth for the track, and the pair created a synth-driven song perfect for summer. Her debut album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’, which received the Hyundai Mercury Prize in 2021, was led by dream-like instrumentals and emotional lyrics capturing joy, pain, and heartbreak. However, ‘Blades’ moves away from this sound, conveying Arlo’s excitement of making a song you can lose yourself to.
“I wanted to make something that I can dance to, finally, because I feel like my songs don’t really have that quality in general.”
The story that Arlo tells is focused around reconnecting with a past friend, where there might have been feelings in the friendship that were unspoken.
“Hope you know that I, I just don't know what to do, 'Cause I only want to be with you”
‘Blades’ emphasizes pushing past those boundaries that make you hesitant to speak about your feelings, and Arlo captures a sense of longing with these lyrics. In the bridge, Arlo conveys her feelings through spoken-word poetry, which fits beautifully into the disco-led sound.
My Soft Machine will also be a deeply personal record for Arlo, narrating her experiences navigating her 20's. The album is expected to be a representation of the singer’s current life, and shows the growth she has experienced in the last couple of years.
“The world/our view of it is peppered by the biggest things we experience - our traumas, upbringing, vulnerabilities almost like visual snow. This record is life through my lens, through my body - the mid 20s anxiety, the substance abuse of friends around me, the viscera of being in love for the first time, navigating PTSD and grief and self sabotage and joy, moving through worlds with wonder and sensitivity - what it’s like to be trapped in this particular body.”
To coincide with the album release, Arlo will be playing a run of record store performances in May, alongside a headline tour in the UK and Europe in September.
Arlo Parks is one of the most honest lyricists to have emerged in the last couple of years, and we can't wait to see the direction she goes in with My Soft Machine.
Words by Amelia Garrett
