Arlo Parks’ much-anticipated second album, My Soft Machine is imminent. Today (April 19), she has shared a new song, “Blades” from the album.
“Blades” is a more upbeat track than the previous two singles, “Impurities” and “Weightless.” On the track, she imagines reconnecting with an old friend from the past, longing for a sweet reunion.
“I remember there was something strangely romantic / In our friendship, we were dramatic / I wept in your arms / Talking for hours on thе gravel, letting our backs burn,” she sings on one of the song’s verse.
Parks revealed that she was inspired by the idea of reaching out to someone she hadn’t seen in a long time.
“I imagine this moment at a party where you see someone across the room that you haven’t seen in a while,” said Parks in a statement, “you felt yourself growing apart, and you’re like, should I, should I not? And then you find the courage to approach them. That’s the story of that song.”
The song was produced with Paul Epworth, who crafted a groovy track comprised of nu-disco loops and synths. This is one of three songs Parks and Epworth created together over the course of five days.
“Paul is just a wizard,” said Parks. “He has this childlike spirit that I’ve always really loved and he brought that to ‘Blades.’ I wanted to make something that I can dance to, finally, because I feel like my songs don’t really have that quality in general. So, I took inspiration from bands like ESG, artists like Kaytranada, and a lot of the kind of ’70s Zambian psychedelic rock that I love.”
In the song’s accompanying video, Parks embraces a helmeted stranger on a motorcycle, while imagining a colorful, harmonious world in which the lyrical reunion takes place.
Check out the video for “Blades” above.
My Soft Machine is out 5/26 via Transgressive Records. Find more information here.