What does it sound like?:
Blossoms are aptly named. They play bright, sunshine Pop with swooning backing vocals and funky guitar. They have heard sixties guitar-jangle, psych-folk, and madchester, but, most of all, they have listened closely to Maroon 5 and Rick Astley, who makes a cameo appearance on the opening track. If they are new to you, where have been? They have been around for a decade, already have five number one albums in the UK, and their last one, Gary, propelled them to stadium level.
All five band members hail from Stockport, spitting distance from Manchester. The town hall is white and layered and holds wedding ceremonies. Naturally it is referred to locally as The Wedding Cake. Tom Ogden, lead vocalist and main songwriter, was married there. The experience was enough to inspire the ten tracks on this album, all of which are packed with hooks and would have kept the dance floor busy at the post-ceremony party. The song titles tell you their thinking: Joke About Divorce, Husband, Meet Me In Love, Fall Into You, and Where Have You Been My Whole Life? Quite where The Kardashians and Uma Thurman fit in isn’t made clear. Like a string of man-made pearls, there is no grit, no edge, no deep hidden meaning, just honest-to-goodness fun. The evening concludes with a warm embrace of a slowie, The Deep End. All the songs are relentlessly upbeat and the production polishes the music until it dazzles on the radio, in the car, in your headphones or amplified at a party. When the album was announced, Blossoms put their kit in a van and gate-crashed three weddings to play a set. They clearly do not take themselves too seriously but are disciplined and professional when the red light is on.
Blossoms are young, good looking, play with a smile, enjoy a large, dedicated fan base, and are having the time of their lives. It’s wonderful to hear the kids still finding joy in frivolous Pop Music.
What does it all *mean*?
Romance is not dead.
Goes well with…
Prosecco, fruity cider, plenty of lager, then shots into the small hours.
Release Date:
02/10/2026
Might suit people who like…
Fun
Husband
Yikes, I quite liked the idea of Blossoms until I read that. I caught one of their “Rick Astley and” gigs, when they played the Smiths songbook, and jolly good it was too. But reading that, I felt like an old perve for even eavesdropping on them, let alone watching the vid. Thankfully I didn’t like the song, it reminded me too much of bands I didn’t like much in the 90’s.
You are a ray of sunshine, retro!
Blossoms are superb at covers. Gary came with a bonus eight tracks of covers which I enjoy more than the album itself.
I might investigate the bonus disc, in that case, knowing my love of cover versions. But maybe only through the safety of a VPN.
Good review TigerL. but I didn’t play the song. I’m listening to another boy band’s album Rubber Soul S.D.E.
Is it any good?
I am disappoint. Original US issue (*eyeroll*), some bits and pieces glued together by Giles … you’re better off with Profstoned’s needledrop, which also adds the single. (I love this album, BTW.)
I’m on this too @Pyramid & love Pauls WCWIO demo. They could have a hit on their hand with this one! 🙂
My new strategy for these “box sets” is downloads. In Canada the whole shebang is $45 on iTunes (about 25 quid), makes more financial sense than $220. I did order the Blu-ray though in a moment of weakness
Remix sounds very good. Have really been enjoying it, if they had removed What Goes On (which still sounds pretty good here) and Run For Your Life with WCWIO/ DT (issued as a single), this could be a candidate for their best album, the opening of Drive My Car/Norwegian Wood/You Won’t See Me/Nowhere Man is hard to match.
SDE disappoints though, the unfinished tracks are underwhelming and the mono and US versions are very short (on CD) and have been previously available. Book looks good from an unboxing video I saw
On my Tidal, it says 2026 remix but 2023 remix for the single. However, multiple tracks were remixed in 2023 for the Blue reissue. Do you think these are any different?
I like the Norwegian Wood early versions, In My Life and I’m Looking Through You. Not much else.
Still awaiting the Blu-Ray.
Think you mean the red reissue. They sound pretty similar to me, doubt Giles and Sam have done much to them, maybe corrected the odd thing. Also awaiting the Blu-ray
That larky intro was a bit cringe*, wasn’t it?
*©Young People
I saw them at the 2019 Reading Festival and they were very… average.
Are they youngsters? Their singer is 33. I mean, relative to most of the AW they are, but…
Don’t be silly. Of course they are young.
Blossoms are a band that frustrate me a little. When they are good they are very very good, but some of their stuff really passes me by (but is lauded by others). I can’t help feeling it could be me that is the issue here, as is often the case! 🙂
I had this on earlier today & have to say I though Fall Into You is a great tune. It sounds like it could be an album where the gems will reveal themselves slowly, which is how i felt with their 2020 offering Foolish Loving Spaces.
As a side note, they do seem like good eggs. I live local to the drummer & used to see him out walking his dog. They also did a little thing at my childrens school to open their new library (All my daughter told me is that in the Q&A they professed love for chocolate hobnobs!)
“They also did a little thing at my children’s school to open their new library .”
That sounds like my kind of pop combo.
Thanks, Tigger, for introducing me to a band who aren’t doing a Farewell/Greatest Hits tour.
Pop music is alive, well and youngish in Stockport by the sound of things.