Album Review: Arlo Parks - 'My Soft Machine'
Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho (a.k.a Arlo Parks) has always thought outside the box, and certainly doesn't want to be put into one. Her recent inclusion in a listicle from High Snobiety '15 Female Rappers Who Are Killing It Right Now' prompted her to respond on Twitter "“All I will say is that if you are a black person make whatever you want to make regardless of the boxes that people try and fold you into – you’re on the right path”.
This alone made it all too clear that every media publications attempt to pigeon-hole the 22-year old artist since her enigmatic breakthrough has left her exasperated. In 2018 she dropped ‘Cola’, a stirring tale of a cheating lover caught in the act. As far as debut songs go, it was subtle poetry written gracefully with a fountain pen filled with venom.
Her debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams turned into a pandemic hit, her poetic musings became unlikely radio hits tying together her two EPs Super Sad Generation and Sophie. LA producer Gianluca Buccaleti (credits including Lana Del Rey and Biig Piig) produced her debut, turning the melancholic moments into beacons of hope – most notably ‘Black Dog’, which Parks wrote about a friend who committed suicide.
The second time around, she is going in a different direction. Speaking to BBC Radio 6 Music, she noted My Bloody Valentine and Fountaines DC as influences for her latest record. Her lead single ‘Blades’ signalled a shift in sound, moving to sunnier pastures. A slice of intoxicating pop with a groovy edge, it calls to mind artists like MUNA and Shura.
In terms of production, Paul Epworth (credits including Adele and Florence + the Machine) takes a bigger role but perhaps more interestingly Romil Hemnani from BROCKHAMPTON assists on Phoebe Bridgers collaboration ‘Pegasus’. This is Parks’ most notable departure lyrically, moving away from the themes of mental health, heartbreak and adultery – this is pure simple elation. She breezily sings “You cool my distress, loose cherries, hard breath”, describing intimacy as if feeling it for the first time.
If her debut album saw Parks sling spiky confessionals, here in this moment she is letting go of all control and opening the curtains. On the spoken word opener ‘Bruiseless’ she states “The person I love is patient with me” and she coos ‘I’m all yours baby’ on Devotion with cascading riffs surrounding her declaration of emotional submission. All of the bliss surrounding her new relationship is documented in this cohesive collection of songs detailing her honeymoon phase.
Speaking of which, the sublime ‘Purple Phase’ is the hazy summer jam built for balmy evenings in August. As for her previous mention of the My Bloody Valentine influence, ‘Dog Rose’ fits this description bringing to mind the dreamy shoegaze of their 1991 album loveless. As a whole, My Soft Machine breaks the mould blending together pop, rock and shoegaze into a boiling pot of enchanting vignettes which reveal Arlo Parks at her most content.
Words by Oliver Evans
