Ambiguous Desire | Album review
The British indie pop musician, Arlo Parks, returns with her third album, Ambiguous Desire. This release adds to her building collection of work, with 2023’s My Soft Machine, and her 2021 debut, Collapsed in Sunbeams. Ambiguous Desire extends her sound forward, while still holding true to her roots.
A repetitive drum and synth comfortably bring “Blue Disco” to life. Content, yet caught between a sense of nostalgia, Parks begins to describe a thinning party, and a gratefulness for what is, “this is what I always miss.” Connection reveals with the echoing, “I always knew, always knew, I would find you… the minute I step away.”
Sampha, who has collaborated with other musicians such as Solange, Daniel Caesar, and Kendrick Lamar, aids in the creation of “Senses.” The fourth track is reminiscent of Parks’ previous reflections of mental health. With a similar stripped-back approach as the rest of the album, Parks allows vulnerability and her lyricism to take center stage.
“Bodies in the summer breeze, concrete washing with metallic green, let's get involved, let's get involved, Adidas and gasoline, my friends spilling out into the streets.” “Heaven,” one of the initial singles released from Ambiguous Desire, remains as one of the strongest tracks in the collection. Emanating with an acceptance of a lack of both control and closure, a tenseness is released with a low-tempo beat drop, airy and soft poetics, and twinkling piano keys. Aptly put, “Do you just want time to freeze? Well I think sometimes, it’s both, there’s a space you find between, when I catch a glimpse of heaven.”
“I know it’s not the way to treat people you love”, the sixth track, “Beams,” sticks to tense instrumentals and tightens with the weight of the conversation it recalls. In contrast, “2SIDED” strums closer to the same tone as “Heaven.” Inclining synths return, building on top of a revolving heartbeat, and similar to the rest of this release, recalls an internal and physical separation from both a loved one and friends.
Various recent album releases have used dance as a medium for their sound, with peers such as Charli XCX, Harry Styles, FKA Twigs, and Slayyyter building work with this centrality. In addition, Parks brings a new voice into the conversation. With mellow and reflective lyricism informed by both experience and skill reminiscent of her previous albums, Ambiguous Desire does not attach itself so much to movement as it does to connection, isolation, and a following emotionally uncomfortable in-between. Arlo Parks’s exploration allows for an immersive experience for the listener, and brings heavy contemplation and an indie-pop sentiment to the movement.