Track of the Week

 

This week’s track of the week is one that I wish I had listened to sooner. Arlo Parks released their second album in May of this year, I had a brief obsession with her debut which still holds a special place in my heart but at the time I just wasn’t in a headspace for new music. Like good music often does, though, this album found a way into my life. So, this week, I’ve chosen ‘Pegasus’ as my track of the week. 

Since I can already hear some of you laughing about the fact it features Phoebe Bridgers, this combination is actual fire and brings the song to another level. Phoebe actually doesn’t have a writing credit, and listening to she and Arlo sing in Arlo’s distinctive writing style is just stunning. The tone of this song and the wider album is, I would say, the really special thing about it. It develops further on Arlo’s distinctive lo-fi fusion backed by these incredibly poetic lyrics. In fact, it’s my music of choice to drive to as it’s perfectly calming but also never boring. And there’s something about Arlo’s voice, it’s just so smooth, this album is calming on a cellular molecular level.

The song itself is a love song, but it has these undertones of finding it difficult to accept that the other person can fully love you. The first chorus, for me, is a major highlight. This is the point where the beat drops and the layered vocals kick in and it always momentarily blows me away. Lyrically, I’d say the middleverse is probably my favourite, with quotes like ‘I call my mother just to tell her that I’m happy’ and ‘I need love like a body needs sugar’. Arlo has a way with words that is just indescribable, and if you’re a poetry nut who hasn’t heard their work do yourself a favour and get over to your streaming service of choice right now to listen. 

So, in short, if you like poetry that calms your inner soul paired with lo-fi beats then Arlo Parks is definitely the right way to go.