Arlo Parks - Weightless

Arlo Parks
Weightless

One of our favourite albums of 2021, Arlo Parks' Mercury Prize-winning debut album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’ was a revelation. It displayed an artist who could magnify the minutiae, finding the beautiful… as well as the painful moments of everyday life before exploding and exploring them with her precise’ poetic prose.

Parks returned last year with the sublime standalone single ‘Softly’. It intriguingly hinted at a new direction for Parks’ sound, with its delicious combination of a string-infused loop destined for the dancefloor and a dark yet inviting piano melody.

With her new single ‘Weightless’ it seems Parks has built upon these previously teased sonics. Referencing the likes of LCD Soundsystem, U.K. electronic musician Loraine James, and rapper John Glacier in its construction. The bold single sees Parks' dreamy tones and incredible writing as a perfect match for a series of swooping synths.

Parks' desire to surprise and evolve can be felt throughout ‘Weightless’. Whether that’s the uncharacteristic vocal chopped sample that compliments the track throughout or the propelling production and percussion that gives a newfound sense of urgency and immediacy to Parks' sonics. Rather than completely moving away from what has made her such a compelling artist, however, ‘Weightless’ feels like an amplification of her strengths.

This is most present in the lyrical aspects of the track. ‘Cardamom and jade as your eyes screamed / Other night, you showed your volcanic side’ opens the track and never before has the fear of discovering a loved one's temper sounded so beautiful yet devastatingly crushing.

Ultimately ‘Weightless’ is a sublime introduction to this thrilling next chapter for Arlo Parks.

Weightless is out now on all streaming platforms. Arlo Parks' new album ‘My Soft Machine’ is due May 26th on Transgressive Records.