Album: Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks (2021)
Genre: Indie
Format: Album

Description: On the heels of the viral success of a handful of early songs, London singer/songwriter and poet Arlo Parks makes her full-length debut with Collapsed in Sunbeams, a set that draws on episodes from adolescence. Sharing an empathic, personal approach that doesn't shy away from matters of heart or mental health issues, some of those songs -- "Eugene," "Cola," and "Black Dog," for instance -- are included on the 12-track album. Another characteristic that Parks' works have in common is an appealing blend of adult-alternative R&B, bedroom pop, and a borderline sophisti-pop that lands her sound in the general vicinity of, say, Sade or Jamila Woods without infringing on their space. Setting her material apart further still are her poetic leanings, and she opens Collapsed in Sunbeams with a nearly minute-long reading of the same name set to arpeggiated acoustic guitar and spacy keyboard tones. The poem's final line, "You shouldn't be afraid to cry in front of me," sets the stage for the openhearted songs to follow, among them "Too Good." That tune's jazzy, syncopated guitar and staccato bass groove uplift regrets like "Why'd we make the simplest things so hard?" Later, the optimistic "Hope" rides skittering drums and lite, improvisational piano chords alongside reassurances like "You're not alone/Why you think you are?/We all have scars/I know it's hard." The jealous "Eugene" is a duskier entry with a similarly elegant groove that scores Parks trying to comfort a friend after a breakup ("You know I like you like that"). Her more poetic tendencies reveal themselves on tracks like the sultry "Green Eyes," which offers "Dragonfruit and peaches in the wine/Kissin' circles underneath your eyes" amongst lyrics about a forbidden young love, and "Portra 400," a song named for a line of Kodak film that includes the phrase "Making rainbows out of something painful." If the musical qualities of Collapsed in Sunbeams suffer from a bit of sameyness by the end, the formula is a soothing, pleasant one with sentiment to spare and, as a debut, full of promise.

Artist Background: Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho (born 9 August 2000), known professionally as Arlo Parks, is a British singer-songwriter and poet. Her debut studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was released through in 2021 to critical acclaim and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Indie, 2020s, Album

Additional Context: Rating score: 8. Based on 1 votes


On the heels of the viral success of a handful of early songs, London singer/songwriter and poet Arlo Parks makes her full-length debut with Collapsed in Sunbeams, a set that draws on episodes from adolescence. Sharing an empathic, personal approach that doesn't shy away from matters of heart or mental health issues, some of those songs -- "Eugene," "Cola," and "Black Dog," for instance -- are included on the 12-track album. Another characteristic that Parks' works have in common is an appealing blend of adult-alternative R&B, bedroom pop, and a borderline sophisti-pop that lands her sound in the general vicinity of, say, Sade or Jamila Woods without infringing on their space. Setting her material apart further still are her poetic leanings, and she opens Collapsed in Sunbeams with a nearly minute-long reading of the same name set to arpeggiated acoustic guitar and spacy keyboard tones. The poem's final line, "You shouldn't be afraid to cry in front of me," sets the stage for the openhearted songs to follow, among them "Too Good." That tune's jazzy, syncopated guitar and staccato bass groove uplift regrets like "Why'd we make the simplest things so hard?" Later, the optimistic "Hope" rides skittering drums and lite, improvisational piano chords alongside reassurances like "You're not alone/Why you think you are?/We all have scars/I know it's hard." The jealous "Eugene" is a duskier entry with a similarly elegant groove that scores Parks trying to comfort a friend after a breakup ("You know I like you like that"). Her more poetic tendencies reveal themselves on tracks like the sultry "Green Eyes," which offers "Dragonfruit and peaches in the wine/Kissin' circles underneath your eyes" amongst lyrics about a forbidden young love, and "Portra 400," a song named for a line of Kodak film that includes the phrase "Making rainbows out of something painful." If the musical qualities of Collapsed in Sunbeams suffer from a bit of sameyness by the end, the formula is a soothing, pleasant one with sentiment to spare and, as a debut, full of promise.

Album: Best Of The Lo Fi Lounge by Arlo Parks (2021)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho (born 9 August 2000), known professionally as Arlo Parks, is a British singer-songwriter and poet. Her debut studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was released through in 2021 to critical acclaim and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 2020s, Compilation


Album: My Soft Machine by Arlo Parks (2023)
Format: Album

Artist Background: Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho (born 9 August 2000), known professionally as Arlo Parks, is a British singer-songwriter and poet. Her debut studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was released through in 2021 to critical acclaim and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 2020s, Album


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