It seems Blossoms have already racked up an embarrassment of ringing endorsements. Their debut album, Blossoms, shot straight to number one in the album charts as soon as it was released, with the five piece from Stockport’s perfect blend of indie rock, psych pop and disco placing them 4th on the BBC’s ‘Sound of 16’ list.
Produced by James Skelly of The Coral, their sound on this album is reminiscent of early Arctic Monkeys, and they’ve been compared to other indie favourites The 1975 and Catfish and the Bottlemen. It’s certainly refreshing to have another guitar led indie band battling it out in the dance heavy charts. Though the band have been releasing music since 2014 it was their more recent single ‘Charlemagne’ that gained them wider recognition and proved a hit with crowds at the many festivals the band played over the summer.
There’s an eclectic mix of sounds on the album, probably because the band list ABBA, Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys amongst their many influences. The lyrics are poetically romantic and the songs tell stories of lost love, heartbreak and longing. Ogden’s northern accent and impressive vocals add character to the music, especially during ‘My Favourite room’, a slow paced acoustic number, and ‘Onto Her Bed’ which is beautiful in its simplicity. ‘At Most a Kiss’, ‘Texia’ and ‘Honey Sweet’ are heavy on the synth and the running drum beats add a throw back disco feel to the poppy tracks. The band show a slightly rockier, guitar driven side with ‘Smashed Pianos’, ‘Cut me and I’ll bleed’ and ‘Blow’, rounding the album off nicely.
Indie fan or not, there’s something on this album for everyone. It’s a good solid debut showcasing their range of musical talents, but the feeling remains that there’s more to be seen from this brooding five piece.
Hannah Mason