He’s eight foot tall with a fibreglass heart

Continuing my trip forward in time through the album charts

27/09/24 : Gary - Blossoms

Somewhat surprisingly, this is our FOURTH visit with Blossoms and it's all been a pretty peculiar mix - last time I described it as "indie-folk-disco" (whatever that is!).  So who knows quite what we're going to get here!

Well, it's certainly not indie-folk-disco! On face value, it's pretty standard indie fare but the songs also have a definite 70s/80s retro vibe to them. I was trying to decide who they reminded me of and it took me most of the album, but I got there in the end - it was New Order, but the songs aren't as repetitive as you might expect from that reference. I quite enjoyed it, but it feels it would need several more listens to really get into - I'd certainly say it's worth checking out. I can't decide if I like the album cover or not though...

We're at #1 with a new entry this week (their fourth #1 album) and the rest of the top five are Sabrina Carpenter (hanging in there well for a somewhat average album), Chappell Roan, Tom Walker (another new entry which you'll enjoy if you like Tom Grennan, James Arthur, etc) and Jamie XX (another new entry which has some nice sounds on it, but doesn't hang together as an album for me).

It's a big week for new entries because we've also got Katy Perry (#7 - this sounded very average to me and the critics have really ripped into it), Future (#12 - apparently this is mumble-rap and I REALLY didn't like it), Nightwish (#20 - WTF is THIS? It's like heavy choral opera - and there's 135 minutes of it!), Ist Ist (#25 - I didn't mind this, it reminded me of Editors), Terrorvision (#29 - not for me, but I'm sure their fans will be pleased to see their first album in 13 years), Cher (#44 - a best-of, available in 93 or 157 minute versions!), Deco (#49 - I didn't mind this at all, it's quite Hot Chip like), Lil Tecca (#66 - if they're called Lil <X>, then it's a safe bet I'm not going to like it and this is not the exception that proves the rule), The Waeve (#84 - an interesting mix of sounds from Graham Coxon and his missus) and, quite obviously, Bob Dylan & The Band (#95 - no, I'm not listening to that).

Last week I said that Snow Patrol would hang in there well at #8 and I think we can quite safely say I got that one very wrong because they're down at #48 - I can't imagine Blossoms doing better than Snow Patrol, so I'm going for #78. And this week's Taylor stats are one in the top ten, a mere two in the top thirty and only eight in the entire chart - she's losing it, I tell you!

Wikipedia has absolutely nothing on the album and very little of interest on the band, so I'll just state again what a fine job they and Rick Astley did covering songs by The Smiths when I saw them at Glasto in '23.

"Customers also listened to" Courteeners, Hard-Fi, Jake Bugg and Sea Girls - but I'm not sure (from my limited exposure) that there's really anyone quite like Blossoms. I didn't mind this at all and feel I should give it the two or three listens I feel it deserves to give it a chance (but I know I won't).

20/09/24 - Nothing to scare the horses

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