If you haven't already heard, Blossoms are a five piece band from Stockport whose debut album headed straight for number one on Friday.
The self titled debut is initiated with tracks 'Charlemagne', 'At Most A Kiss' and 'Getaway' - all of which I had previously heard on the radio and had consequently enticed me to buy the album.
'Charlemagne' is enhanced by a great bass rhythm that solidifies an overall groove for the song. Combined with the lyrical rhythm of the chorus - this creates a memorable track.
The bass is truly showcased, along with a drum beat, in the middle section of 'Charlemagne' when the vocals are taken away, leaving you with a stripped down rhythm track.
Most of the tracks on the album use similar instrumentation (drum kit, guitar, synths) but there are a few surprises.
For instance, 'Onto Her Bed' opens with a piano melody which is a real contrast from the previous, synth and guitar driven songs. The vocal then slips in. I feel this provides a bit more emotion to the song than we have previously heard. I really liked this opening.
Another introduction I thought was interesting can be found on 'Smashed Pianos'.
It opens with a drum machine type beat with a mysterious broken melody draped over the top.
The vocals are added in an old radio type style - very intriguing.
But then you're thrown into a semi-familiar sound when a bass enters. the drums start to sound more like a traditional kit and Ogden's vocal becomes clearer.
The sound continues to get clearer and louder whilst maintaining the initial beat.
This is potentially my favourite track.
In particular, I like the way it ends with a mild crash sound - a smashed piano?
Personally, I think you can hear a few influences in this album.
The first I picked up on was on 'Cut Me And I'll bleed' where the vocal style reminds me of Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys). This is by no means a bad thing.
The second can be found in the following track 'My Favourite Room'.
As for the song itself, it is a complete contrast from the rest of the album.
Starting off with a simple acoustic guitar, 'My Favourite Room' is much slower than the rest of the album and I like that a lot.
Ogden's vocals enter softly, creating a lovely atmosphere.
Interestingly, a tambourine is added to hold the beat as there are no drums.
Towards the middle section, the guitar stops to showcase the raw vocal at the pinnacle of the song.
This is followed by the addition of piano notes, adding to the pretty 'acoustic-ness' of the song.
'My Favourite Room' reminded me of a sort of acoustic version of Catfish and The Bottlemen in parts.
But don't get used to this softer sound as it is soon over.
'Blow' follows 'My Favourite Room'.
It's back to what we know - a drum kit starts creating a solid beat and is met by a heavy bass line and distorted guitars. The familiar vocal then comes in as well as the odd synth appearance.
Overall, Blossoms self titled debut features a lot of songs with good beats, catchy hooks and powerful guitar riffs that wouldn't be out of place at a festival that sit alongside tracks with a softer sound.
Until next time...
@wewantgoodmusic
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