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 .