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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
Even when exploring some of the tougher moments that she has gone through in recent years, it is still an uplifting and triumphant listen. Absolute top-tier music at its best here.
80
On her second album, Mercury Prize winner, Arlo Parks' gentle and poetic songwriting explores new feelings and depths.
80
My Soft Machine hits differently than Collapsed in Sunbeams, but it's still a powerful effort that packs more emotional weight while expanding the singer/songwriter's stylistic range.
80
On My Soft Machine, introspective icon Arlo Parks practises an admirable gratitude for life in the face of some of its greatest challenges.
80
The follow-up to the Mercury-winning Collapsed In Sunbeams sets about laying the groundwork for a long and stellar career.
80
Listening to My Soft Machine her work seems effortless but that’s obviously not the case otherwise so many artists would be operating at her high level. Parks is the real deal and an emerging artist that we will be celebrating for some time to come.
80
A collection of soothing and uplifting tunes which continue Parks journey to becoming Britain’s most compelling indie pop songwriter.
80
Following a moment away from the limelight and pivotal interactions with unexpected muses, Arlo emerges with a newfound directness, finding a sound and voice that fully represents the multifaceted complexities of the world outside the bedroom.
80
The feel is summery and soothing, well suited to her new Californian existence.
80
Doing what it says on the tin, My Soft Machine is powerfully subtle, and reasserts Parks’ ability to capture and alleviate negative emotions, while simultaneously furthering her exploration of the sound that put her on the map.
80
To use an American parlance, she’s faced down the Sophomore Slump – ‘My Soft Machine’ is a triumph, matching the heights of her debut while embracing some unexpected aspects.
80
My Soft Machine is a punchier, poppier outing for Parks but the record shares a lot in common with its predecessor.
80
UK pop prodigy's second album provides plush armor against life's slings and arrows.
75
There’s still a gingerliness to her songwriting, where at points you wish for less apologies and a more strident course—but that’s the take from someone whose 30s are in the rearview and knows fully well the world still doesn’t make sense.
70
Eyes may be on the US market, but the honesty of Parks' expression holds.
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4w
70
My Soft Machine’s matured vulnerability and consistently interesting production keep Arlo Parks as one of indie’s most moving and rewardingly accessible songwriters.
70
Despite a few moments spent in the doldrums, Park's heartfelt lyricism and serene instrumentals navigate the complexities of love and healing, reminding listeners of the ongoing process of finding wholeness.
69
The singer-songwriter’s second album is headier and more dynamic than her Mercury Prize-winning debut, but its sharp writing is often blunted by its temperate sound.
60
The Mercury Prize-winner's second album treads familiar ground, though the turns of phrase remain remarkable.
60
My Soft Machine lacks the clarity of Parks’s exceptional debut, and can veer too often into repetition; there’s a lack of journey in the individual songs, meaning you end in much the same place as you started. Her lyrics are, as ever, expertly crafted, but they deserve much more musical supporting oomph.
60
It’s Peak Parks and what a joy that is to have her back.
60
Though buoyed by Arlo Parks’ resilience and desire for authentic union with a partner, My Soft Machine is over reliant on predictable sonics and vague melodies.
60
There is much softness to Arlo Parks’s second album, even if it is a touch too sweet in places.
60
Too much of My Soft Machine is too smooth by half.
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1mo
60
There is no doubting Parks’ artistry and her lyrics remain vital and impressive. But the music, at times, ventures towards the less memorable end of the scale and that is something of a shame.
The baseline of what JUST qualifies as song writing, as with the debut this music is nondescript and emotionally void - a vague 'bedroom pop'/'alt pop' flatline.
Plinky plonk non melodies and vocals that can switch between rapping and singing unnoticed because both approaches lack any sort of impact or personality.
AI can replace this yesterday already.
NO NUANCE REVIEW
I don’t understand. Loved Arlo Park’s debut, and this time around she brought in Ariel Rechtshaid, Buddy Ross, Paul Epworth, and Romil Hemnani to produce. How do you get such a strong team of creatives in one place and make an album this musically nondescript?
How do you follow one of the hottest debuts in bedroom pop history? With one of the blandest, most nondescript albums of the year, of course!
There's next to nothing to pick up from "My Soft Machine," Arlo Parks' sophomore album. Whereas 2021's "Collapsed in Sunbeams" was overflowing with personality and catchy hooks, its 2023 sibling lacks any kind of punch, or any semblance of the quality songwriting that made "Sunbeams" such an exciting ... read more
Parks' follow-up to the simple brilliance of Collapsed In Sunbeams feels like a natural, dynamic evolution of her style. The listener is wrapped up in Arlo's observations on love drifting across dreamy, soft instrumentals - with more dynamicism than her debut record.
Highlights: The heartbreaking spoken word on Bruiseless, the glittering instrumental of Impurities, and the indie-rock twang of Devotion.
Lowlights: The sheer volume of singles, and the similarity of Puppy and I'm Sorry.
Arlo Parks isn't one of my favorite artists, but her debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was a very solid release that showed lots of promise. The catchy hooks, groovy, bedroom pop instrumentals, and poetic songwriting were a big draw and resulted in select songs getting a lot of replay from me. Sadly, my reaction to this follow-up is not nearly as positive.
My Soft Machine gets its name from a quote from the movie, The Souvenir, in which a character says that people watch movies to see life ... read more
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Track List
| 1 | Bruiseless 1:11 | 69 |
| 2 | Impurities 3:49 | 74 |
| 3 | Devotion 2:45 | 76 |
| 4 | Blades 3:41 | 81 |
| 5 | Purple Phase 4:24 | 73 |
| 6 | Weightless 4:02 | 81 |
| 7 | Pegasus 3:06 feat. Phoebe Bridgers | 76 |
| 8 | Dog Rose 3:08 | 72 |
| 9 | Puppy 3:13 | 67 |
| 10 | I'm Sorry 3:07 | 67 |
| 11 | Room (Red Wings) 4:28 | 72 |
| 12 | Ghost 3:47 | 67 |
Total Length: 40 minutes
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1w
The singles were mid, so i’m hoping for a better full release. Loved her first record!
Added on: January 18, 2023