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Photo: Alex Waespi

As we enter an era dismantling harsh labor and false digital lives while glorifying living softly and honestly, Arlo Parks is soundtracking our spirit’s return home. Her highly-anticipated sophomore album, My Soft Machine is a brave and delicate prose that peers into all of our hearts and diaries.

Describing the process as a “painful inner diving,” it’s evident Parks used shards of her own bones to build this indie-pop project. It’s a raw look into where her mind, body, and soul live in reaction to heartbreak, curiosity, trauma, friendship, and feeling lost in the same place you were once found. My Soft Machine honors the light, the dark, and the undeniably human.

An interlude-length intro that launches you into the depths of this project, “Bruiseless” is the pain that comes from longing for a time when innocence was still accessible. “I’m Sorry” is another particularly humanizing track, apologizing for not finding solace in healthy coping mechanisms, preferring to live numbed. The guilt bred from not doing life correctly is a unifying feeling, and Parks manages to speak to it while remaining ethereal and deeply intoxicative.

The album continues to explore more internal crevices, but the full magic of this project is yet to be experienced. As she gears up with her fall UK / EU tour, it’s no secret that the live shows are where My Soft Machine will truly come alive. There’s an intimacy this album begs for, and Parks has proven time and time again that being on stage is a sacred practice she deeply values, making every individual in a sold-out venue feel seen.

My Soft Machine catalyzes another level in Parks’ artistry. She described the album release to be emotionally tumultuous, sharing “I’m giddy, I’m crying, I’m grinning, I’m throwing myself around this apartment, I’m on fire, I’m terrified, I’m feeling everything right now” via Instagram. It’s the only reaction suitable for a project this bare, and a clear indication she’s putting out work that deeply matters.

Listen to my soft machine below: