Photo Credit: Lily Ajaib
Ten years after their debut, Blossoms return with their sixth studio album ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake.’ The Stockport legends have spent the past decade earning their status as indie royalty in the UK, building an impressive career that includes four UK Number One albums and some of their biggest shows to date. Two years on from the success of Gary, Blossoms have found confidence in their themes. Centred around love, marriage and the everyday moments that come with building a life with someone, Songs From The Wedding Cake takes inspiration from Tom Ogden’s own experience. Even the title is a reference to Stockport Town Hall, where the lead singer got married in 2021.
“Jokes About Divorce” offered the first glimpse into the album’s central theme before fans knew a new album was coming. Featuring ’80s icon Rick Astley, it brings the humour synonymous with Blossoms while introducing a new era. The playful take on relationship mishaps makes for an infectious opening statement.
That infectious trait continues into “Husband“, where Ogden reflects on finding his feet in married life. His opening nod to The Cure’s ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ leads into a slightly surreal, sci-fi disco arrangement. Here we see one of the album’s strongest indications of how far Blossoms have pushed their sound.
“Meet Me In Love” keeps that disco influence running whilst sitting underneath the band’s familiar indie-pop instincts. As the second single, it offered another side to what the band were building, moving away from the tongue in cheek relationship mishaps of its predecessor, instead delivering a love song that avoids the usual clichés.
That knack for turning the mundane into something memorable is best heard on “The Kardashians” and “Additional Driver”. The former takes a seemingly random pop culture reference and turns it into a wider look at how relationships change over time, with Ogden’s call and reponse with the band giving it a conversational quality. Featuring Declan McKenna, “Additional Driver” finds the humour in Ogden crashing his wife’s car. McKenna’s vocals slot naturally into the track, while the story adds another glimpse into the album’s romantic subject matter.
The record becomes more sincere as it progresses. “Fall Into You” slows the pace, capturing the feeling of falling deeply for someone with the intimacy of a love letter. “Guts” picks things back up, channeling the energy of an early 2010s indie hit while offering another glimpse into Ogden’s relationship. “Uma Thurman” brings the album’s pop culture references back into play, turning its title character into another declaration of devotion.
“Where Have You Been My Whole Life” brings the record back to Ogden’s own story, looking back at meeting his wife at 23. Inhaler’s Elijah Hewson’s backing vocals add depth, while Shawn Lee’s influence is particularly noticeable in the track’s strong finish. Closing with “The Deep End”, Blossoms finally slow the pace. At over six minutes, its swimming pool metaphor captures the uncertainty and consuming nature of falling completely in love before disappearing into two minutes of instrumental music.
Songs From The Wedding Cake is a record built around Ogden’s life, but its charm comes from how easily those stories translate into Blossoms songs. Gary gave the band room to experiment and grow their confidence, and here they sound willing to take that further. Beneath the disco grooves, pop hooks and unexpected guest appearances is a band that knows exactly what makes them work. Ten years in, Blossoms are still finding new ways to tell their story.
