Arlo Parks is back with her third studio album, Ambiguous Desire, a deep dive into the sometimes wistful, often romantic nature of nightlife. On Ambiguous Desire, the queer singer-songwriter steps into a downtempo, lo-fi club sound with this album, inspired by her DJ sets and club hopping throughout New York City. The album, which dropped on April 3rd, earned a 7.1 rating from Pitchfork, the highest of her releases so far.
Arlo Parks’ sound has certainly evolved in the years following her accoladed debut in her teens, when jazzy songs such as “Cola” (2018) and the 2021 album Collapsed in Sunbeams won her the Mercury prize and launched her to indie stardom. The acoustic-indie sound that initially made me a fan of Parks is totally transformed in the mellow house style of Ambiguous Desire, but Parks’ narrative lyricism and gorgeous, breathy delivery continue to shine through as hallmarks of her songwriting. The album discusses heartbreak, romance, and escapism with introspection and emotional depth, while a synthesized, pulsating beat flows effortlessly through the tracks.
Ambiguous Desire feels like the soundtrack to a late-night drive through city lights or the haze of a dreamy club, with resonant, well-timed beat drops and harmonies sure to captivate fans of alternative R&B and indie downtempo pop. The album’s first single, “2SIDED,” is a beautiful introduction to the atmospheric rhythm of the album; the lead-off track, “Blue Disco,” is a little groovier; and the collaboration “Senses (feat. Sampha)” leans into a more percussive sound.
Parks’ lyrics on Ambiguous Desire feel almost like spoken-word poetry, immersing the listener in the feel of a moment. In “Heaven,” Parks floods the senses with the buzz of a summer afternoon (“concrete washing with metallic green, Adidas and gasoline, my friends spilling out into the streets, let’s get involved”), the fleetingness of late-night romance, and the daring to hope for a love that lasts to daylight.
My personal favorites, “Jetta” and “Beams,” are the introspective and slower tracks of the album, on which Parks opens up about her mental health struggles and the heartbreak she experienced during the tour of her second album. Even with such heavy topics, Parks’ gentle, elegant phrasing shapes the songs into something beautiful, one of my favorite things throughout Ambiguous Desire.
While there isn’t a strong variety of sound between songs on the album, the beats carried throughout the album feel more cohesive than repetitive, and Parks still finds a way to explore multiple emotions and atmospheres through the downtempo club beats.
Ambiguous Desire is a must-listen for any romantic, nightlife lover, or escapist R&B fan, and Parks’ poeticism elevates the album to a level truly unique to the genre. Arlo Parks has made a masterpiece once again, and personally, I can’t wait to dance to it this summer.
