Arlo Parks – ‘Ambiguous Desire’ album review: A call to the community of the club
In a world backsliding into conservativism at a breakneck speed, going out is revolutionary. When the whole ‘trad wife’, ‘clean living’, ‘protecting my peace’ lifestyle is nothing but a hairpin away from red-pilled submission, partying is powerful – and Arlo Parks seems to get that.
The Skinny: The last we heard from Arlo Parks, things were somewhat domestic. On My Soft Machine, Parks was doing a lot of inner work, sharing songs about PTSD, love, and childhood. It felt like a bedroom album in that it swayed between romantic intimacy and inner workings, with tracks like the beautiful ‘Pegasus’ sitting in the middle, beginning “Fallin’ asleep / Holdin’ your puppy in your Persian blue sheets / Never felt luckier than I do right now.”
But from the first single of Ambiguous Desire, it was clear that we’d left the house. Or, at least, we were now at a house party in the kitchen as the sonics of ‘2SIDED’ are beat heavy and thumping.
Lyrically, Ambiguous Desire is quite business as usual. Parks’ voice remains the same with her gorgeous mix of introspective poetry and subtly powerful candidness, where day-to-day observations feel so weighty. On this record, she is singing a lot more, putting more of the spoken word sound down, but even that seems to work towards a grander message of togetherness and community, and the role a party plays in that.
At the start of ‘Get Go’, a radio DJ is heard. When sharing the album’s inspirations, Parks specifically picked out London’s independent and pirate radio scene and the breakbeats that come across the airwaves there. It’s in part a homage to the electronic and club sounds of her hometown, but it feels crucial that Parks positions herself as listening to the radio on this record.
In an incredible essay titled everyone wants to be a DJ, no one wants to dance, writer Dani Offline talks about how the move towards a more individualised culture has led to a rejection of communal experiences. The title sums up so much – everybody wants to be the star, everybody wants to curate the vibe, everybody wants to be niche and forward thinking and on a podium away from the rest.
It also perfectly sums up the rise in clean living propaganda that sweeps social media, leading to broader conversations about how Gen-Z, especially, are going out less, drinking less, and partying less. This isn’t about advocating for a drunken and unruly age group, but if everyone is busy trying to live solely for themselves, where is the community? If everyone is DJing, who is on the dance floor? How do we all dance together?
The radio alone is such a powerful image for community as a circle of listeners all tune into the same song and enjoy it together, even from far away. So as Parks prioritises danceable beats throughout this record, while also sampling the radio to position herself as a listener, Ambiguous Desire becomes a call to the dance floor.
Standout Track: ‘Senses’ ft Sampha
The Verdict: Switching up her instrumental sound completely to lean fully into tunes like ‘Nightswimming’ that feel made to make you move, Parks is ushering her fans towards the club, while still balancing in a good dose of introspection and time-outs in the smoking area or the bathroom as proof that to dance isn’t to be devoid of depth.
Release Date: April 3rd, 2026 | Producer: Baird, Paul Epworth, Buddy Ross and Andrew Sarlo | Label: Transgressive
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