A decade after their debut, Blossoms are already releasing their sixth album, Songs From The Wedding Cake. Following the success of 2024’s Gary and bringing them on their first arena tour of the UK, Songs From The Wedding Cake is pre-emptively proving to be an important release for the band.
If there is one thing Blossoms can do, it’s a brilliant hook, and Joke About Divorce is no exception. With infectious call and response vocals, the fetching “woah-oh,” and simple yet fun lyrics, this is Blossoms in their comfort zone, as you’d expect for an opening track, and it works. A prominent bass line works excellently on the song, complementing the erratically melodic lead guitar in a way that sounds distinctly like Blossoms. Ending the song on a different note is a guest appearance from Rick Astley, repeating “Don’t joke about it,” warning against exactly what Tom Ogden sings about.
Continuing marital lyrical themes is Husband, immediately drawing you in with sparkly synth at the top of the mix, unquestionably the highlight of the track. Blossoms certainly love to name-check influences in songs, and on Songs From The Wedding Cake the honour goes to the Cure and their 1979 single Boys Don’t Cry, mentioned in the very first line. The song then quickly moves onto the pre-chorus and its memorable vocal line, one you’ll find yourself singing repeatedly.
Meet Me In Love is just as striking as the previous two tracks, but does so with softer vocals and a stronger beat. This retains the magnetic feel Blossoms are known for, but switches the sound up enough to remain interesting. Guitar that climbs higher in between sections and vocals that do the same on each chorus create a relationship between music and voice that results in a clean, cohesive feel, in keeping with the rest of the album so far.
The Kardashians seems a strange title at first, but the serene, melodic track negates any scepticism that could be found. An unconventional percussion intro and a light, twinkly chorus make for a unique track, while the addictive opening vocal line and more call and response are merely the next in a line of remarkable, unforgettable hooks. Songs From the Wedding Cake is already proving to be Blossoms’ catchiest album ever.
Police sirens, cars skidding, and hasty mumbling open Additional Driver, setting the scene perfectly. The story-following structure works excellently among the so far rather lovey-dovey album, a fun collaboration between Blossoms and Declan McKenna breaks up the almost sickeningly sweet track listing. Vocals from Ogden somewhere between singing and speaking contrast the high-pitched, melodic chorus from Declan McKenna. Alongside the percussion and bass heavy areas of the song this makes a textured track well-equipped for the middle of the album.
Romance swiftly returns on Fall Into You, a fast-paced yet melancholic-sounding love song. The track is greatly reminiscent of the band’s 2020 album Foolish Loving Spaces with its chorus of soft, layered vocals, guitar reverb, and intimate lyrics; a combination highly familiar to Blossoms fans. Clever use of echo and musical rests work together to enhance the dreamy feeling the band have created superbly.
Bass undoubtedly steals the show on Guts. It produces most of the melody underneath the relaxed vocal “oo-oo-oo”s and further lyrics listing things that the narrator has done and would do for their subject, singing “I hope you know I cut my hair for you” and “So what, you want the moon? I got it”. By now, however, listeners are sure to be looking for a track that varies in lyrical theme.
Pop culture references remain strong on Uma Thurman, using the actress’ role as the Bride in Kill Bill to bring back the wedding theme, although now growing tired. Sonically, the track is more interesting, with potent lead guitar cutting through, demanding the attention that it indubitably deserves.
The wistful, pensive feeling that could be seen on Fall Into You returns on Where Have You Been My Whole Life. Relaxed vocals are surely to be credited for this, as the guitar is more intricately involved on this track. While absolutely a great, simple and sweet love song, it unfortunately falls slightly flat after the abundance of these we’ve already heard.
Ending the album is the slow, reflective The Deep End, by far the longest track on the album. The metaphor used, the daunting, unpredictable deep end of a pool representing the same traits in love, is only slightly trite, but emphasised by the lack of variation in subject matter across the album before. There are many interesting, well written lines that shine through, redeeming the lyrics, albeit not fully. Two minutes of instrumental music finish the album, one of the few chances for lead guitar to fully shine, and it does so excellently.
For an album named Songs From The Wedding Cake, it is completely expected to host more than a few songs centred around love, relationships, and weddings. However, having all but one song surround relationships, each tackled in much the same way, by the second half of the album it comes across as lyrically repetitive. Variation in simply the way the subject matter is approached would have helped make a record that remains captivating into the latter half. Despite this, a change in musical style can certainly be detected across the entire record, and it is done excellently. Ideally, this shouldn’t carry as much weight as it does, but it works well enough. Songs From The Wedding Cake is hook-filled, romantic, and ultimately a solid instalment in Blossoms’ discography.
Blossoms: Songs From The Wedding Cake — Out 2 October 2026 (ODD SK Recordings)
