The musical evolution of Blossoms

Lilly Palmer | October 2025

Blossoms have been blessing us with music for over ten years now, from their singles in 2014 such as “You Pulled A Gun On Me,” to their most recent number one masterpiece “Gary” late last year. Over this decade-long gap, it is no surprise that we see evolution and stylistic change throughout the band's discography, as its variation and experimentation are crucial to the music industry’s development. Through analysis and depiction, it is apparent that I take on the role to explore how such an amazing band digresses over the years. 

“Blossoms”

This self-titled debut album was released in August 2016, following singles like indie notorious “Charlemagne” and “Blown Rose.” It immediately climbed the charts within its first week of publication and subsequently became the best-selling album in the UK in 2016. This was a massive breakthrough for the Stockport band, as they immediately made a name for themselves on the scene with recognisable synth blurs and immediate electropop-esque guitar riffs that perfectly encapsulated the aesthetic and sound the band wanted to create. Even to date, a myriad of songs from this album still hold special places on the band’s concert setlists, such as “Honey Sweet.” “Blossoms” is one of the most perfectly curated albums in the past 25 years. 

“Cool Like You”

Blossoms a Scarborough by Laetitia Dewachter

“Cool Like You” was released in 2018,continuing the themes of naive love and uncertainty under its more synth-driven sounding tracks like “There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)”  alongside a more psychedelic aspect in some areas. Of course, there isn’t too much to coherently critique in this album experimentation-wise, as the band are known for this distinctive and impressionable sound that rocked the indie scene since the very start. This album also features lighter and slower songs, such as “Love Talk,” which beautifully utilises the mixture of backing vocals and keys to embody the melancholy and longing that frontman Tom Ogden sings about exactly.

“Foolish Loving Spaces”

By this album, Blossoms had truly outdone themselves. “Foolish Loving Spaces” was released in late January of 2020, and had a pivotal role for so many to get through the COVID-19 pandemic, which this album easily did with its upbeat and buoyant backing track. This album can evidently be seen as more pop-driven, with influences like ABBA clear throughout, as evidenced by catchy tracks like “If You Think This Is Real Life,” which gets you wanting to hit the dancefloor. “Your Girlfriend” is arguably the most iconic song on this album; the pure campiness and theatricality used in the music video itself reflect the perky storytelling aspect that the songs on this album hold (even if there are more wistful undertones in the lyrics, like on my personal favourite song “Romance, Eh?”)

“Ribbon Around The Bomb”

“Ribbon Around The Bomb” is undoubtedly the most overlooked Blossoms album. It was released in 2022 and showcases a slower and rawer sound for the band, and it almost feels like a love letter to the listener with its maturity and depth in comparison to previous albums. This is where we see the evolution of the band, as tracks like “Born Wild” showcase a more stripped-back and introspective side of Ogdens' writing that subtly introduces the idea of fragility in his lyricism. Overall, the pop-synth sound the band is known for is still apparent. Yet, the softer and more intimate, heartfelt lyrics give this album such a different feeling in its entirety. 

“Gary”

“Gary” was released just last year and has easily become the favourite amongst fans. It reflected that indie-pop sound we saw in the earlier albums, yet still carried a lingering sense of nostalgia in songs like “Mothers.” It is no debate that the collation of synth and guitar should be heavily praised in this album, as the band entirely mastered the blend of both worlds. It gives off that ’70s disco aesthetic perfectly with its modern twist that leaves you wanting more. But what really encapsulates this album for me would be how bassist Charlie Salt drove so many tracks on the album, such as “I Like Your Look” or “Nightclub,” so perfectly. This album in itself deserves so much more recognition across the board, entirely to an extent which I can't begin to  summarise within this. Therefore, to link to my own “Gary” album review, you can read it here :) 

In summary, we can easily conclude that Blossoms have stayed true to their recognisable sound over the years, and continued to produce albums that have been adored by fans.This sound continues to evolve and appeal to a wider audience every time, from indie bangers that keep the crowd elevated at each gig to heartfelt, exposed songs that epitomise coming-of-age and the idea of growing up.