Collapsed in Sunbeams

1. 01Collapsed in Sunbeams0:55
2. 02Hurt3:36
3. 03Too Good3:41
4. 04Hope4:30
5. 05Caroline3:37
6. 06Black Dog3:49

On the heels of the viral success of a handful of early songs, London singer/songwriter and poet Arlo Parks makes her full-length debut with Collapsed in Sunbeams, a set that draws on episodes from adolescence. Sharing an empathic, personal approach that doesn't shy away from matters of heart or mental health issues, some of those songs -- "Eugene," "Cola," and "Black Dog," for instance -- are included on the 12-track album. Another characteristic that Parks' works have in common is an appealing blend of adult-alternative R&B, bedroom pop, and a borderline sophisti-pop that lands her sound in the general vicinity of, say, Sade or Jamila Woods without infringing on their space. Setting her material apart further still are her poetic leanings, and she opens Collapsed in Sunbeams with a nearly minute-long reading of the same name set to arpeggiated acoustic guitar and spacy keyboard tones. The poem's final line, "You shouldn't be afraid to cry in front of me," sets the stage for the openhearted songs to follow, among them "Too Good." That tune's jazzy, syncopated guitar and staccato bass groove uplift regrets like "Why'd we make the simplest things so hard?" Later, the optimistic "Hop…