Raynes - Bloom (2025) [Hi-Res]

The title Bloom was chosen for a few reasons. Aesthetically, the EP draws inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement, a trend in design philosophy that began in the British Isles around 1880. This was just a few decades after the American gold rush of 1849, and the songs on Bloom were conceived as growing from the wind-swept desolation of Raynes' most recent EP, '49. Exploring the themes of growth and renewal, Bloom draws heavily from the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement, using its distinctive floral and botanical elements to visually and sonically evoke a garden. The EP itself is also meant to "bloom" from the first song to the last; the opening track has a relatively spare arrangement, and each subsequent track becomes more layered and lush until the EP ends in a full symphony. The image of a garden further comes to life through the lyrics, with mentions of seeds, roses, trees, butterflies, birds, rain, and sunshine throughout.