Arlo Parks’ music is a metaphorical breath of fresh air as soon from the moment you press play on any song from her discography. The British singer-songwriter and poet debuted her first studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, in early 2021 with the incredibly talented musician receiving critical acclaim for the phenomenal body of work and reaching number three on the UK Albums Chart. Arlo’s musical talents first piqued my interest when she not only won the breakthrough artist award at the 2021 Brit Awards but also delivered a stunning live performance of her song, ‘Hope’ which simply blew me away. After being lucky enough to catch Arlo Parks live in concert at her sold-out show in Manchester at the Manchester Academy 2, I am more than happy to say she lives up to the expectations and surpasses them tremendously. Support for the night came from Joesef.
One thing that also has to be highlighted about the night was the stunning stage production. Beautiful sunflowers sprawled up microphones and small lightbulbs lit up the front of the stage and this added attention to detail just showcases how much love Arlo Parks has for performing and this was a wonderful addition to what was already lined up to be a night to remember. Arlo bounced onto the stage with sheer joy and a gigantic smile across her face that lit up the Manchester venue, it was the perfect way to start the night. She began with ‘Hurt’ and ‘Green eyes’ before then playing the song which started her career in ‘Cola’ and she would go on to play more songs from her debut album and illusive discography. The vibes and love in the room were unmatched throughout the entire night with Arlo even claiming Manchester as her second home. It was such an exciting show to be a part of and you could feel the warmth through the air and long into the night.
ARLO PARKS
Review + Photos by Lewis Roberts | Exclusively for @Music,Why Not!