“Bloom is the story of how I fell in love,” says Parisalexa. The seven tracks that make up this project tell a story of personal growth through botanical metaphors. We Out Here magazine praises “the storytelling throughout the project is impeccable,” while CityArts highlights the “lush vocal harmonies that flow over breezy, warm boom-bap textures,” adding that there are hints of soul, jazz, and the ’90s R&B. KEXP adds that Bloom is “empowering, lovely, and elating all at once,” while The Seattle Times calls Parisalexa “one of the brightest young stars in Seattle music.”

Here’s another take:

In their annual year-end critics’ poll, The Seattle Times ranked Parisalexa’s Bloom and FLEXA EPs as the two very best Seattle album of 2018, saying:

Two years after a talented kid with a looping station turned heads at Sound Off!, R&B wunderkind Paris Alexa Williams proved ready for the spotlight this year, debuting with two impressive EPs that earned her more votes than any other act on our list. The now-20-year-old flashes a maturity and confidence — both vocally and conceptually — beyond her years on Bloom. The seven-track main course is about personal growth and self-love through romance narratives. Williams taps the ‘90s R&B she grew up on, brushing piano beats with her soulful mellifluousness on tracks like “Hole in the Ground” and “Dandelion.” The artist on the rise brings a more contemporary swagger to her following FLEXA EP, gracefully spreading her undeniable hooks over bass-heavy beats on “Ballin’ ” and “LV” — an earwormy humble flex about being proud of what you have. The scariest thing about Parisalexa’s breakout year is the fact that she’s still developing her style, meaning the next few years could be even more fun.