by Shea Roney (@uglyhug_records)
Bloomsday, the Brooklyn-based project of Iris James Garrison, is back with a new single, “Where I End and You Begin” out today on Bayonet Records. With a new album in the works for 2024, Bloomsday shares an early glimpse of what is to come. Following their genuinely crafted 2022 debut full length, Place To Land, Garrison’s focused collection of songs were written throughout their gender transition. Navigating through denial, unreciprocated love, and just simply growing up, Bloomsday’s delicate songs find ground in complex and unsavory subjects, creating beauty when there is sometimes none.
“Where I End and You Begin,” produced by Ryan Albert (Babehoven), breathes in that mellow and melodic folk style that sticks with you after every listen. With a subtle intro, the track leaps into an atmospheric shift that stands defiant in nature and welcoming at the heart of it. Entering with an unwavering melody that roams to where it feels most comfortable, Garrison sings about the sensory clicks when old memories are unexpectedly brought up. “Smell your perfume here / Used to smell it everywhere / Never got it out of that sweater / I hope that you’re doing better,” Garrison sings in a contemplative, but assuring state. With an electric guitar solo playing into dissonant notes that add a source of joyful tension, “Where I End and You Begin” doesn’t feel like a regretful song. As the instruments fade, Garrison fits in one last “Where I end,” almost as a placeholder for more things to come in their life.