Five albums that changed Arlo Parks’ life
Arlo Parks found fame amid the chaos of lockdown for providing a serene vocal tone that produced a sense of ethereal comfort and a calm and refreshing sonic hand on our shoulders. For that reason, among many others, she was given the worthy accolade of having the best album of the year, according to the Mercury Prize event. As Little Simz now takes the crown for 2022, we thought we’d give Parks a treat and remind her of her favourite records of all time.
As we all know, picking a selection of favourite albums of all time is a tricky thing to do. Any music lover worth their salt will likely have a changeable list, morphing from year to year, season to season, week to week and even day to day. The very movable nature of our connection to music is so dependent on our mood and environment that it’s extremely difficult to pin down a set of records that will become our unshakable favourites. It’s part of why we love music in the first place.
Thankfully, the good people at Reader’s Digest didn’t take “no” for an answer and delivered a set of albums that Parks confirmed changed her life. As one might expect, the list is one of serious quality, dabbling across genres and transcending any premeditated expectations. While there are nods to the British legacy she is now a firm part of, Parks also doffs her cap to LPs from across the world, including the very special Channel Orange from the wildly talented performer Frank Ocean.
In fact, for Parks, that record would not only blow her away but help to shape how her music could provide both a personal expression and a universal connection. Calling the album “unique and idiosyncratic”, Parks later confirms: “It was the first time where I heard a record and thought, it really feels like this person is doing exactly what they want to do, and not thinking about was has come in the past. Frank Ocean’s voice is beautiful, and he has a way with words that I can’t really fault.”
You’d be hard-pressed to find a singer-songwriter working in Britain who doesn’t cite the wonderfully gifted Thom Yorke as an inspiration. Both with his solo projects and his star turn fronting British icons Radiohead, Yorke has developed a singular way of songwriting that has inspired countless musicians. Parks is clearly one of them, as she explains while picking In Rainbows: “I think the record influenced me sonically but also lyrically, with how vulnerable and emotional some of those songs are. I’ve always been attracted to albums that have a sense of cohesion but also have variety, where an artist can create a mood through lots of different kinds of songs. Radiohead is probably my favourite band because of the variety.”
Another glorious singer among the name sin Parks’ list is D’Angelo, perhaps the finest R&B singer of his generation. His record Voodoo would lead Parks down an avenue of discovery: “Songs like ‘The Line’ and even ‘Untitled’, led me to experiment with my own vocal style. It really got me into R&B and soul, and I think I based a lot of how I sing on it—not on the high vocal runs and all of that, but using my voice as something that’s a little bit more understated and folds into the instruments and isn’t that ostentatious.”
There are more market leaders in Parks’ selection as she also picks out one of the most beloved hip hop records of all time, Madvillainy from the late MF Doom and Madvillain. For Parks, it wasn’t just the “crunchy analogue beats” but how they played with language that excited her: “I can appreciate storytelling—that’s something that I try to do personally—but then I can also [appreciate] people who push the English language to its limits, just because they can.”
Perhaps the most obvious pick on our list is Blue by Joni Mitchell. The record is a classic of confessional songwriting, and it connected with Parks on a personal level, as she explains: “Joni Mitchell’s songs feel very personal, and that’s something I aspire to do with my music. I’m always telling stories about people and situations that are very close to my heart, people that I know quite intimately, and I try to convey that sense of intimacy to the listener.”
“Blue makes me feel more comfortable about admitting my vulnerabilities and admitting my weaknesses, and I think there’s something empowering in saying, ‘sometimes I’m not OK’ or ‘sometimes I make mistakes’. That’s something everyone can relate to because everyone has their weakness and flaws, and I want to be as open as possible. When I’m touched by those songs, it makes me hopeful that other people are touched by mine.”
Below, you can find the full list of Arlo Parks’ favourite albums as well as a perfect playlist.
Arlo Parks’ five favourite albums:
- Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
- In Rainbows – Radiohead
- Voodoo – D’Angelo
- Madvillainy – MF Doom
- Blue – Joni Mitchell
