ARLO PARKS
My Soft Machine (Transgressive)
My Soft Machine, the second album from Arlo Parks, does exactly what it says in its title. These 12 songs offer mechanical production quintessential to an LA summer soundtrack, but does not lose touch with Parks’ subtlety and British indie-pop roots. Beginning her story with Bruiseless, Arlo Parks expresses her knack for poetic spoken word that emulates the characteristics of British rap and grime.
Beyond the prologue lies an experimentative attitude that delves into bedroom pop and indie funk on Blades, Weightless and Pegasus – the latter a Phoebe Bridgers feature with an interesting blend of urban flair and a lullaby musicality. On My Soft Machine, the humanity in Parks’ artistry is omnipresent among the amalgamation of grit, funk, and romanticism; through an ability to write authentic lyrics to accompany melodies that are not overtly manufactured, she avoids falling victim to the sophomore slump with this powerful return.
words ROWAN DAVIES
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