A collaborative solo project since its inception,
Bloomsday released a well-received debut album that grappled with themes of identity,
Place to Land, in 2022. After netting tours with the likes of
Courtney Barnett and
Bonny Doon,
Bloomsday singer/songwriter
Iris James Garrison headed to upstate New York to record the follow-up in the studio of another dreamily intimate indie pop act,
Babehoven. The duo's
Ryan Albert produced the album. Some of the other contributors to sessions included
Babehoven's
Maya Bon, drummer
Andrew Stevens (
Hovvdy,
Lomelda), and
Place to Land producer
Alex Harwood, and
Slow Pulp's
Henry Stoehr mixed the set. The resulting material finds the songwriter still exploring the hidden corners of identity and self-reflection, the nuances of relationships including friendships, and other personal terrain, as implied by its title,
Heart of the Artichoke. Appearing midway through the track list, the song "Artichoke" opens with the hum of a keyboard and a multi-sensory memory ("I found your favorite T-shirt in the back of the car/Smelled like fire and bug spray/And your face in a flashlight at dark") before expanding to include folk-style guitar and a minimalist rhythm section. It eventually arrives at the repeated line "The heart of the artichoke leaves me wanting more." Such subtly and metaphor is typical of
Garrison, who populates the album with evocative objects, cherished memories, sweetly wistful melodies, and plenty of yearning. Seeming to meet at the crossroads of
Adrianne Lenker and
Frankie Cosmos, a song like the lilting "Virtual Hug" covers catchy indie pop and earnest folk-rock territory while endorsing the "practice of patience" with regards to an absent loved one. While waiting for a text reply, the song has
Garrison remembering playing with a neighbor's dog, the recipient's coffee order, and their favorite songs. This quiet devotion also surfaces on songs ranging from "Where I End and You Begin," whose lusher, layered textures support a lengthy electric guitar solo, and the naked "Carefully," which ends with a convincingly impromptu sigh. A gem of tenderness,
Heart of the Artichoke ends on the frustrated "Old Friend," which, despite their display of altruistic sentiment, leaves
Garrison still on the outside looking in. ~ Marcy Donelson
