My Soft Machine

Arlo Parks - My Soft Machine
Critic Score
Based on 26 reviews
2023 Ratings: #508 / 757
User Score
Based on 848 ratings
2023 Rank: #759
Liked by 76 people
Sign In to rate and review

CRITIC REVIEWS

100
Dork
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
musicOMH

The follow-up to the Mercury-winning Collapsed In Sunbeams sets about laying the groundwork for a long and stellar career.

80
Rolling Stone UK
This collection contains just as deeply affecting words as her debut. Sonically, the springy beats and lithe basslines of her first album remain intact, though this time they’re knotted by dreamier guitar lines, bold synths and soulful vocal melodies made to stand the test of time.
80
Evening Standard
The feel is summery and soothing, well suited to her new Californian existence.
80
The Forty-Five
On her second album, Mercury Prize winner, Arlo Parks' gentle and poetic songwriting explores new feelings and depths.
80
Gigwise
A collection of soothing and uplifting tunes which continue Parks journey to becoming Britain’s most compelling indie pop songwriter.
80
Northern Transmissions

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
The Independent

My Soft Machine is a punchier, poppier outing for Parks but the record shares a lot in common with its predecessor.

80
Clash
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
Rolling Stone
UK pop prodigy's second album provides plush armor against life's slings and arrows.
80
The Skinny

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 Line of Best Fit

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
DIY

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
AllMusic

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.

75
Under the Radar

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
Exclaim!
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.
70
Uncut
Eyes may be on the US market, but the honesty of Parks' expression holds.
70
Spectrum Culture

My Soft Machine’s matured vulnerability and consistently interesting production keep Arlo Parks as one of indie’s most moving and rewardingly accessible songwriters.

69
Pitchfork
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
Mojo

Too much of My Soft Machine is too smooth by half.

60
The Telegraph

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
NME
The Mercury Prize-winner's second album treads familiar ground, though the turns of phrase remain remarkable.
60
Albumism
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.
60
The Arts Desk
It’s Peak Parks and what a joy that is to have her back.
60
The Irish Times
There is much softness to Arlo Parks’s second album, even if it is a touch too sweet in places.
60
PopMatters

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.

Doofy
27

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.

BaddieBaphomet
50

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?

Kaunt
45

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

wyvey
75

a good album by arlo. highlights are peagasus, devotion, impurities and weightless. there weren’t any major let downs for the album in my opinion. can’t wait to she what they do next.

kaimasonnn
55

loved her first album a lot, but these sorta lack all the charm and soul that those had.

Jick
73

silky pop music as per from arlo parks. chilled out and laid back

Purchasing My Soft Machine from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement

Track List

1Bruiseless
1:11
69
2Impurities
3:49
73
3Devotion
2:45
77
4Blades
3:41
80
5Purple Phase
4:24
73
6Weightless
4:02
79
7Pegasus
3:06
75
8Dog Rose
3:08
72
9Puppy
3:13
68
10I'm Sorry
3:07
67
11Room (Red Wings)
4:28
71
12Ghost
3:47
67
Total Length: 40 minutes
Sign in to comment
4mo
9mo
9mo
9mo
9mo


Added on: January 18, 2023