Blossoms - Blossoms

Blossoms have made some fairly bold statements in the lead up to this, their debut album. The question is, does it live up to their claims and the hype surrounding them? Opener Charlemagne sets the tone excellently with its infectious tune and is ably followed by 80s-esque synth pop infused banger At Most A Kiss. So far so good. As the album progresses however, everything starts to feel a bit too vanilla, a bit too samey, a bit too safe. What grabs your attention early on soon gets repetitive. One song blurs into the next with few highlights to pick out despite the obvious musical references found in their tunes. It’s a challenge to sit through in one listen and would have benefitted from removing the superfluous On To Her Bed and the over-egged Smashed Pianos. The frustrating thing is, that for all the almost formulaic tunes you sit through, there are elements of exciting and effervescent pop music including the first two tracks and Cut Me And I’ll Bleed in which Blossoms cut loose a little, the result being a lingering sense of what might have been rather than a confirmation of the hype.