When Oasis announced they were reforming after 15 years of bad blood and Twitter strops, it was as if the entire nation had suddenly rediscovered the thrill of anthemic rock delivered with a Northern swagger. But while the Gallaghers were busy feuding, a new generation of ragamuffin guitar heroes had already coalesced in Manchester and its hinterlands – including Blossoms, whose rip-roaringly heartfelt fifth album, Gary, follows a sell-out show at 25,000-capacity Wythenshawe Park in August.
Loosely inspired by the true story of a fibreglass gorilla named Gary stolen from a Scottish garden centre, the record brims with attitude. However, it would be a mistake to write off the Stockport outfit as a Millennial Noel and Liam. Gary is co-produced by James Skelly of Wirral psychedelic institution The Coral and Josh-Lloyd Watson of London r’n’b collective Jungle, and blends disco, funk and New Order-style electro-pop without ever sounding like a hodgepodge.
It also benefits from frontman Tom Ogden’s evolution as a writer since the group’s debut in 2016. Opener “Big Star” is a clever piece of sleight of hand that borrows the bittersweet 70s melodies of the tragic American band of the same name. The lyrics, meanwhile, recount Ogden’s shyness around industry figures promising to make him – as per the title – a big star.
Blossoms have long ventured where stodgier indie rockers feared to tread. They were surprise stars at Glastonbury 2023 when they backed one-time King of Cringe Rick Astley on his acclaimed set of Smiths covers. That open-mindedness is again on display on Gary, which features two songs co-written with Mercury-nominated country pop singer Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, aka CMAT.
She is the perfect foil for Ogden on “I Like Your Look”, where their voices interweave against an 80s beatbox groove, while “Why Do I Give You The Worst Of Me?” is Dolly Parton meets Joy Division. However, the LP’s most emotional moment is “Mothers”, a jangling valentine to Ogden’s mum, where the singer evokes images of his mother in her youth, partying to – them again – The Smiths and Rick Astley.
The tune ripples with mosh pit energy. But, as with so much else here, the magic lies in its understanding that there is more to life than cigarettes and alcohol and that human connection is what really matters.
Stream: “I Like Your Look”, “Mothers”