In an era of poptimism, five lads from Stockport citing the influence of Abba as well as Arctic Monkeys is no great surprise. What’s more striking about Blossoms’ debut is how persuasively they combine their pop and indie influences. Synths are placed front and centre in songs such as Charlemagne and Getaway, and the production frequently has the surface sheen of 1980s drivetime hits. Yet there’s a decent amount of groove and swagger here too, not least in the low-slung funk of Smashed Pianos, and singer Tom Ogden’s vocals, are pitched engagingly between the rough-edged croon of Alex Turner and the florid yelp of Brett Anderson.
