Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams (Album review)

 

It was only very recently that I discovered Arlo Parks and I have to say I am quite taken by her music. Arlo is a London based singer, poet and spoken word artist. She seems to have an awful lot of hype surrounding her, often hotly tipped to become a new major player in the industry and I can see why. Collapsed in Sunbeams is an enchanting combination of bedroom pop, RnB, Soul, spoken word and elements of jazz, her music already sounds fairly mature despite this being her debut album and Arlo herself being only 20 years old. She has a very distinct style of chilled out and breathy but yet very emotional vocals and overall the album is a solid effort.

Arlo has a real knack for observation and telling stories that curate these brilliant atmospheres and vibes. It’s a very honest and personal album that is a great length and doesn’t over extend itself, with the only real major problem being that it lacks a little variety.

The opening track is a quaint and delicate spoken word piece that kicks things off on a tender note. This feeds into the next track Hurt, which has this chilled groove that sets the base for the song. The vocals are youthful and energetic, Arlo’s style is somehow effortless and yet still packed to the brim with emotion. It’s a really sweet song, the chorus is catchy and uplifting and the song generally is quite optimistic. The spoken word section towards the back end of the track fits perfectly as well.

Too Good has a playfully immature style, it at times sounds like a throwback to some 90s era RnB, especially on the ‘Why’d we make the simplest things so hard?’ refrain that Arlo sings across the song. The drums and bass fit together nicely and the lyrics are consistently witty and fun, it’s just really hard to not smile and nod along to this one.

The next song Hope is a slower and slightly jazzy number. The vocals on the verses have a really affectionate melody. Arlo sounds really honest and meaningful on the choruses as well which really makes the song feel more poignant. Hope also has some calming reverb soaked guitars and just in general is a really touching song.

Next is my favourite song on the album, Caroline. I really adore the way this song flows, the verses and choruses really slot together so well. It hits you like a wave of calming energy and yet again Arlo’s vocals are a huge standout. I can’t talk this song up enough, it’s a truly a brilliantly composed dream like ballad.

Just Go is more bouncy than most of the album and has some really charming cheerful guitar. The bass compliments the song as well; it’s a really pleasant soulful groovy song despite probably being one of the albums slightly weaker tracks.

Next up is For Violet; this track is a lot more atmospheric, more spaced out and less groove driven than most of the album. It’s a really good change of pace at this point as the songs start too sound a little samey. It’s an emotional song and the vocals are mixed beautifully, especially on the chorus which sounds haunting. I really enjoy how this song allows Arlo’s lyrics and vocals to shine, especially considering how heavy the songs theme is.

Eugene is another huge stand out; it seems to be a song about loving someone who is in love with someone else, the idea of paining after someone you know you can’t have and the struggle of accepting that. The guitar and drums are very delicate and at times the lyrics can be quite devastating. It’s feels like another emotionally raw song with a great chorus and an oddly comforting atmosphere.

The album ends with the song Portra 400, a bit more going on with this one with the addition of some synths but still sounding like Arlo. I also like that she ventures into rapping a little on this song, it’s a decent and sweet album closer.

Collapsed in Sunbeams gets a lot of its credibility from how real the stories on this album are, she is really pouring her soul completely unfiltered into the album. It at times feels like you are listening to her reading from her diary and hearing deeply personal anecdotes from her life. I love the spoken word passages dotted across the album as well and it’s very clear that Arlo is an exceptionally talented lyricist. It’s so hard not to be taken in by Arlo’s charm and vocal delivery, her voice is so sombre and delicate, it just works so well with the music. The album really only suffers from a lack of diversity within the songs and can sound pretty samey at certain points but I think that all the songs individually are composed and performed so well that it isn’t much of an issue.

Overall I loved this album, a super endearing and charming effort from a clearly very talented and promising young artist. I can’t wait to see what Arlo has in store down the line.

80/100

Best tracks – Hurt, Too Good, Caroline, For Violet, Eugene

Worst tracks – Just Go