One listen and I was in love. Lost on the psychedelic synth-pop waves of “Honey Sweet” by Blossoms. This experience made me learn two things: that it’s possible to fall in love with a song and that love at first sight (or in this case hear?) really exists.
Since then, Blossoms is a recurrent figure on my playlist, having Honey Sweet, of course, a special place on it. That being said, meet Blossoms! Our Artist of The Week.
The Members of Blossoms.
(Source: http://www.nme.com/news/music/blossoms-share-stranger-things-inspired-new-video-1965724)
Their journey starts in Stockport, Great Manchester, England (where they still are based until nowadays), with five lads that were born in the Stepping Hill Hospital although not on the same day nor year.
Growing up, they all lived within a 2 kilometres radius of each other, but haven’t met. It was during high school only that their story would start, with Joe Donovan (drums) and Tom Ogden (singer, songwriter) getting to know each other and Donovan already being friends with Charlie Salt (bass, synthesizer and backing vocals).
The remaining group members, Myles Kellock (keyboard, synthesizer, backing vocals) and Josh Dewhurst (lead guitar, percussion) became part of it in January 2013, during the time when Joe and Tom were working together at a hotel as event staff. The ensemble then was named after a local pub called The Blossoms and started rehearsing at a scaffolding yard that belonged to Charlie Salt’s grandfather’s (a perfect space for them, since it was huge and, more importantly, free).
One year later, they dropped their first single, called “You Pulled A Gun On Me”, which even though was self-produced, showcased their talent and potential. The music got the attention of Skeleton Records which signed them in Spring 2014.
Some months later, they embarked on their first tour, to promote their debut EP “Bloom”. The gigs only happened at weekends as they continued working on their full-time jobs.
Band Logo.
(Source: http://www.blossomsband.co.uk/xmas-2016/9/)
In Autumn 2014, its components decided to give Blossoms their everything, so they quit their jobs and dedicated themselves full-time to the project.
Blossoms has obtained more and more recognition , which led them to meet some of their idols (such as Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys and the brothers Gallagher from Oasis), peak musical charts, attend countless interviews, perform on the most different venues and festivals (such as Glastonbury, T in the Park and TRNSMT Festival, later this year) and be nominated to important awards, such as BBC “Sound of 2016” (4th position) and Mercury Prize 2017 (shortlisted).
Until the present time, they have released 4 extended plays and one eponymous debut album, Blossoms (2016). The band have already finished their second album and is expected to release it soon.
Now, we’ve separated 4 songs by them which we believe you cannot miss:
1 – Honey Sweet
Honey Sweet is unique, and in my humble opinion, the best song from the collective. Tom Ogden, Blossoms' frontman, seems to agree with me on that. In a 2016 interview for AXS, when asked which was his favourite song from the album and why, he said “It can change a bit but I will have to say “Honey Sweet”. It captures something special. And I’m really proud of that song. Someone on Twitter described it as a modern-day “Heart of Glass” by Blondie I like that reference. I didn’t say that but I’ll take it. (laughs)”. The entire interview you can read here.
The synthesizer sound is one of the music’s highlights. It is catchy and exciting and dictates the rhythm of the whole song (as soon as the first note hits on, you just want to dance right away). The accompaniment provided by the drums match it really well, and when Tom’s melodic and smooth voice is added, we have a symphony, we achieve nirvana.
My favourite part is when “honey sweet” keeps being repeated, at the very end of the song. Its sensuality is fetching and the perfect peak for the song. It’s like you’ve waited all this time just to hear that sequence.
Still talking about the lyrics, I also love the wordplay made with “incomplete”; sometimes it seems to be a reference to the protagonist of the song (as a person incomplete) and sometimes it seems to talk about the incompleteness of the main character and its loved one's relationship (since they’ve broken up). Altogether, we have clever and honest lyrics with an involving beat.
2 – Charlemagne
As in Honey Sweet, the synthesizer and the drums are the main instruments here, but in a completely different atmosphere. Again, the music starts with the synth, and we have that 80s feel that seems to underlie most of the Blossoms’ songs, but Charlemagne is more dynamic and “mysterious” than others. Its lyrics are more metaphorical and all its elements together give it a more sober and darker vibe.
Tom’s voice is higher, which becomes evident by analysing the piece’s word choice; it is majorly finished with stressed syllables, like in the 1 syllable sentence “Mars, tried, hide, cried, died”. This also contributes to the lyrics to be so melodic.
Strategic pauses throughout the song to build up tension were really well thought and done, we almost feel our hearts beating faster, expecting that delicious beat that we know will come next.
3 – Getaway
In Getaway, a subtle tambourine gets to control the rhythm; which makes this song be a bit slower than the two. In this one, we also can hear the string instruments more clearly and powerfully.
The double entendre of the phrase “I’m over you, get under me” is also really interesting and clever. The gradual introduction of instruments throughout the song is very delicate and successful.
4 – You Pulled A Gun On Me
Accordingly to some YouTube comments “You Pulled A Gun On Me” is a mixture of The Beatles, The Doors and Arctic Monkeys and we couldn’t agree more!
The organ is the star of the melody, guiding it throughout. This is one of their early work and here we can see the long way they've come, how they evolved their sound and found their own voice.
With an outstanding rhythmic balance, the tune is definitely worth a listen. A fun fact about it is that its music video was made with the small the budget of only £60.
Some weeks ago, a rumour started that there is a feud between Joe and Tom. It all started with a video shared by Even The Stars UK, in which Joe makes some declarations about Tom. As soon as the video was released, Tom used his Twitter account to respond Joe’s accusations, and the heated exchange between them went on and on.
Now, with the recent release of the “Blossoms Helpline”, a telephone line created by the band’s current label, Virgin EMI, to “support people fearing their break-up”, fans all around the world wonder if the fight is true or just a joke. Ringing the number, what seems to be a snippet of a new song greets you and then a recorded message from Josh Dewhurst "answers" the phone, soon enough, you are invited to leave your own voice note. You can read more about it here.
Publicity or Reality?
(Source: http://www.bestnewbands.com/featured-artists/time-season-interview-blossoms/)
And you sailor, what do you think? This is all a publicity stunt or Blossoms' future is threatened for good? Share with us your thoughts on the comments section below.
If you want to learn more about this marvellous, polemic band, who wants to be known by everyone everywhere, head to their website.
Until we see again!
Here wrote A., the captain of The Musical Expedition.
Over and Out. 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Ahoy! Interact With Us.