Stockport based indie electro band ‘Blossoms’ return for their second album ‘Cool Like You’. This is the follow up up to their debut, the self titled mercury award nominated debut album ‘Blossoms’. The question is can the band follow up its success?

Earlier this year the five piece band created a promo video or several, including a supposed ‘leaked’ video of Drummer Joe Donovan (in a candid off the camera chat in a pub) questioning frontman Tom Ogden labelling him a ‘diva’ and questioning the future of the band with him saying Ogden now spends all his time in America away from the others. Ogden ‘responded’ on Twitter saying that Donovan was now ‘the ex drummer of the band’.

With no album released, the bands future may have appeared in doubt…. except it was all a bit of an obvious joke, not many fell for it, but it showed the humour of the band and created some further publicity. In the lead up to the album the band releases (mock) documentary ‘Where are Blossoms?’ Much in the style of Peter Kay comedy ‘That Peter Kay Thing’ which was an ode to Stockport first and foremost but saw the band ‘seemingly’ go their separate ways on new paths including, becoming an ice cream man or a tea connoisseur. The band of course had actually finished recording 2nd album ‘Cool Like You’

Where Are Blossoms? – Documentary

The album (released on Friday 27th April) is an emphatic return and sees the band develop further upon the electro themes of the first album. Lead singer Tom Ogden has a engaging lyrical presence with an Alex Turner like swagger about him.

‘There’s a reason why I never returned your calls’, opens the album with a bang, a synth led foot stomper which appears to hint at a failed relationship with someone struggling to let go. The album as a whole appears to cover a very personal side Tom Ogden, with a big theme on the album appearing to be to do with a failed relationship(s) and feelings of failure.

Opening single ‘I can’t stand it’ comes next, this time we have a funky bass-line and a very 80’s sounding sound. Reminders of someone everywhere, whilst

Next song Cool Like you, is a danceable indie hit, the eponymous song on the album with the album name. You can’t help but dance along to this one. Arguably the strongest track on the album.

Next we have Unfaithful, featuring the lyric ‘you don’t love me like you used to’. There’s almost Blondiesque vibe about the song. You’d be forgiven to half expect Debby Harry to start singing during the chorus.

The Stranger Still intro wouldn’t appear out of place on popular Netflix show ‘Stranger Things’ wonderful sound tracks, maybe the inspiration behind the name of the song? You would imagine that the soundtrack may have had a possible influence for the electronic side of the album. If I had you to myself I’d be happy where I am, is an emotional line with having to share someone with some else.

How Long Will This Last is a certified banger, ‘I can’t explain why I was wrong so I wrote down in a song’. Who knew a song about someone toying with their emotions with an almost paranoia waiting for something to fail again could be such an upbeat song.

Between The Eyes, musically has a softer and slower tone than the songs preceding it. Ogden sings ‘You crept into my heart’ and a more positive outlook.

I Just Imagined You returns to the in your face pace, ‘lying on the floor and loneliness’ again feature as themes of the song.

Giving Up The Ghost is one of the most interesting songs on the album, a softer melody before a rapturous humming chorus.

Lying Again, is the penultimate song on the album, which is bound for the crowd to be shouting the ‘lying again’ refrain at the Blossoms upcoming tour.

Then finally, album closer Love Talk, see’s Blossoms back into the ballad mode. A reflective piece in showing the albums very personal and deep tones lyrically from Tom Ogden.

It’s a fantastic album in the whole. The second half of the album is arguably the weaker side of the album. But in all, the Blossoms don’t suffer from the difficult second album syndrome. Whilst the album is strong, it maybe doesn’t have the same instant rapport that the first album struck on first listen. However, a first album is hard to top, it’s what makes us fall in love with the band in the first place but no doubt these songs will become much loved too.

It’s a strong effort by Blossoms, and one which see’s them continue to grow into one of the UK’s biggest indie bands. The Blossoms have made their fan base naturally, you won’t see many harder working bands in terms of touring and content. They’ve supported people from the likes of The Stone Roses to selling out countless headline tours and even their own record label ‘ Very Clever Records’ containing new band Fuzzy Sun. This is Blossoms 2nd album in less than 2 years (the first also latterly featured an extended 10 track addition) and it won’t be long till these guys start headlining festivals in the not too distant future.

Blossoms album Cool Like You is available from now (27th April) in all good record shops and online. Blossoms will also be touring the record so be sure to check them out.

 

By Tom Holynski