BRAND SPANKIN' NEW!!: "Gary"- Blossoms Review

Who on God’s green earth would call an album Gary? Blossoms, that’s who. Yes, our favourite Stockport fivesome are back with their fifth (!!!!!!) album, and GIRL are we @ Ver Society fans. Since 2014 this lot have gone from producing indie boy band bops to swoonsome seventies inspired soundtracks (and we’re not just saying that, Ode To NYC off Ribbon Around The Bomb was written for a series that never actually made it in, Netflix the twats) and this record absolutely is teaming with ‘em! So, as per, get comfy, grab yer fave biccie and delve in!

We already penned a review of the synth-popping  “Perfect Me” last month and we were SO convinced until a few days ago that this would’ve been the last single, so we couldn’t Adam n Eve it that they only went and released a surprise track the night before ar Gaz was born, “I Like Your Look” with irish Indie queen CMAT. This disco dance inducer, which is reminsicent of Rapture by yer Mum’s favourite, Blondie, also has hints of favourite grandad groovers, Duran Duran & the his n hers harmonising of The Human League and is a total toe tapper- very much like “What Can I Say Except I’m Sorry” which was the first of the Gary singles to be unleashed into the world. Although, if the video is anything to go by, it’s a lil bit of a headbanger. 

And the 80s references don’t stop there, no no, with “Mothers” namechecking The Smiths and long time friend of the band, Rick Astley. Yes, the bands love of the decade that brought us the bands signature sound is once again prevalent on this record, after 2022’s Ribbon Around The Bomb made us feel like their leccy metre had ran out. Someone obviously gave Myles Kellock the cash to pop to the offy for a top up. The album ends with an Naughty little New Order sounding number, “Why Do I Give You The Worst Of Me?”, which is a bit like how we feel after we have any social interaction ever.  They’ve always been great at ending with a banger. Of course, coming from Manchester, this sound is always going to make its way into any of Blossoms work. Like “Cinnamon”, which on the tin sounds like a tribute to The Stone Roses but is a jangly Smiths-esque song, which also sounds a bit like the music from the opening of 00s Trash TV fave Wife Swap. Oh how we adore it. 

We couldn’t do a review of Gary without having a good old giggle about the title track. Mad as hatters (which funnily enough, is a very apt saying, coming from Stockport which just so happens to be home to a hat museum), Blossoms have always liked to take the piss a little and this time, they’ve written a jaunty little pop song about a 8 foot tall Gorilla with a fibreglass heart named…erm…well…Gary. They even launched the record in question with a trailer featuring various famous Gary’s, including crisp salesman (and ex-footballer) Gary Lineker, Vince Noirs main man Gary Numan and Gary Neville, who, very recently has been welcomed into the world of rock n roll having bagged himself a bass job on tour with The Reytons. As someone whos just bagged themselves marketing degree, its a campaign I would’ve been blimmin’ well proud to have been part of. Give yerself's a pat on the back Blossoms, yer fifth album is fucking fab x