“Collapsed In Sunbeams” by Arlo Parks

An intimate expression of truth, and an impressive debut

By Macy Harder

With her debut album, “Collapsed In Sunbeams,” 20-year-old Arlo Parks makes one thing clear: she is quite the lyrical powerhouse. Parks’ background in poetry shines on all 12 tracks, as each provides a glimpse into the hidden corners of her mind. The album opens with the title track, a short spoken word piece backed by dreamy instrumentals. It gives listeners a glimpse of what’s to come: vivid imagery, raw emotion, and an incredibly intimate listening experience.

The album flows in a unique way, featuring 12 stand-alone stories. Her lyrics invoke rich visuals, stimulating all of the listener’s senses and inviting them into each scene. “The air was fragrant and thick with our silence,” Parks recounts on “Too Good,” the album’s third track. 

 In these narratives, Parks contemplates various complexities of youth, such as mental health, heartbreak, and sexuality. She offers support to a friend on “Hope,” with a hook reminding them that they’re not alone. A version of this story continues on “Black Dog,” a heavier conversation about mental health. “I’d lick the grief right off your lips,” she pleads.

Later, we see Parks’ experiences with being bisexual come to the forefront. “Could not hold my hand in public, felt their eyes judgin’ our love,” she says on “Green Eyes.” My favorite track, “Eugene,” feels like an intimate reading from Parks’ diary, as she writes with frustration about the blurred lines between platonic and romantic love. She opens up about her feelings for a close childhood friend that quickly turned to jealousy; “Seein’ you with him burns, I feel it deep in my throat,” she reveals. 

Parks’ brilliant lyricism is coupled with instrumental elements of both R&B and bedroom pop that compliment her voice perfectly. Overall, “Collapsed In Sunbeams” is an honest, cathartic expression of the feelings we struggle to put into words, and an impressive debut from Arlo Parks.