GOSHEN, Ind. – Each week, a Globe-pal (AKA a DJ at 91.1 the Globe) takes a song of their choosing, and dishes out a healthy review to be sent out and posted on globeradio.org/music.
The Globe Track of the Week is an excellent way to keep up with the new tunes presented weekly on 91.1 the Globe, the best college radio station in Indiana.
I don’t know what “Devotion” by Arlo Parks is about…but I like it.
One can look at the surface and probably rightly assume that it’s about Arlo Park’s actual devotion to someone, but with lyrics like ‘Tryna deduct blue, why do I trust you?’, I get the sense there’s something deeper related to trust or commitment issues.
“Devotion” gets off on the right foot, bringing forward a sense of urgency early with the chorus thanks to words like ‘All yours, baby – come down like a million tonnes’.
The song is on the lighter, more pop-oriented side until about the 1:40 mark of the song…that’s when the punch lands and the chunky guitars kick in.
The remainder of “Devotion” takes a page out of Queen’s book, and switches genres midway through, likely to keep the listener on their toes.
It’s a shorter track all-in-all, but made all-the-more effective as a result.
Be sure to stick around for the wrap-up of the song, as Parks lets loose her true feelings with a spoken-word message that requires no questioning:
‘I think in a way, I’ve always loved you. I used to hate it when people said that. But I meant it. You make me feel free.’
“Devotion” wasn’t even a single off of Park’s album “My Soft Machine” but deserves and demands your attention nonetheless.
As always, I recommend checking out the music video, which keeps Parks and her band confined to a wide yet moody elevator.
