Songs from the Wedding Cake by Blossoms – Album Review
By Brad Jones
Having taken quite the left turn from the introspective, ballad-heavy 2022 album Ribbon Around The Bomb to the more playful, disco-driven Gary, released in 2024, it was clear from the get-go that with Songs From The Wedding Cake, Blossoms were confident in the tools at their disposal to produce an album which combined the best elements of both.
Lyrically, opening track ‘Joke About Divorce’ is an extension of Gary’s closer ‘Why Do I Give You The Worst Of Me?’. Both songs are based around putting your foot in it in a relationship, however, ‘Joke About Divorce’ shows a more secure and positive perspective of dealing with situations like that, as does the infectious melody.
The jaunty, uplifting ‘Husband’ reinforces that, particularly by saying “I’ve found my feet, come back to me, I’m a husband now.” That confidence and conviction flows into ‘Meet Me In Love’, a track teeming with glossy 1980s disco-funk inspiration to complement their indie-pop roots, which remain prominent.
Blossoms, 2026
image: Debbie Ellis
Fourth track ‘The Kardashians’ is a strong showcase of frontman Tom Ogden’s ability to extract meaning from mundane moments in life as he describes how deep love can present itself even when hungover and in emotional overdrive. Not to mention that it’s almost certainly the only song this year to mention both The Kardashians and Blackpool Pleasure Beach whilst charting the evolution of love in a long-term relationship.
“Celebratory feel”
What was perhaps most evident throughout the band’s previous album was a strong sense of freedom to work in a way they collectively enjoy, whilst branching out to find unseen and unheard aspects to their output.
Additional Driver is one of a few great examples of that on this record. The silliness of Ogden’s storytelling shines through, as does the soulful rhythm of Shawn Lee’s production and the addition of Declan McKenna’s smooth vocals. A song that by all accounts appears to have been just as fun to produce as it is to listen to.
Heading into the album’s second half, ‘Fall Into You’ reverts our attention back to love and the subtle ways it can change someone for the better. The tenderness of the guitar riffs and the repetition of “It’s love I fear” in the chorus gives it a celebratory feel.
The following track continues in that vein to complete the more melodically gentle and heart-warming section of the album. In ‘Guts’, Ogden reflects on how important the quiet, boring moments are to fully realising and appreciating someone.
As someone in their late twenties, I’ve had a few people tell me life gets better in your thirties, and I’ve always questioned that to an extent. This album definitely feels like a vote in favour of that theory as it explores the various elements of joy that come with being more settled and sure in life.
During ‘Uma Thurman’, the use of pop-culture references such as the title and ‘Rocky Horror’ adds another playful layer of what makes someone special, and the sprightly instrumental reinforces that sentiment. If Tom Ogden ever chooses to renew his vows with his wife, a full performance of Songs From The Wedding Cake would definitely suffice.
“Hardest balance”
In keeping with that idea, to put the cherry on top of the mischief and in-jokes, earnest, heartfelt words are often a good way to round things out. ‘Where Have You Been My Whole Life’ serves that purpose well, and the inclusion of Inhaler lead singer Elijah Hewson’s vocals adds some much-needed emotional depth going into the closing track.
With a relaxing, dream-like atmosphere created by the final track’s instrumental, Blossoms brilliantly capture how something once as daunting as ‘The Deep End’ can be floated through gracefully once you’re with the right person. It only felt right to end a wedding-themed album with a song fit for a first dance amongst a host of floor fillers exploring the fun side of love as comprehensively as its complexity.
Tapping into what defines you whilst exploring what opportunities there are to evolve is often the hardest balance to strike as a band, but with the introduction of funk and soul elements and an array of timely guest vocals to accompany their trademark fun-loving, anthemic style, Songs From The Wedding Cake does a fantastic job of achieving that.
Ten years on from their first of four UK number one albums, not only does this feel like almost inevitably becoming their fifth, but there are strong signs that there’s plenty more to come from the Stockport band.
Having spent most of the seven years since studying Sports Journalism at university producing TV guide magazines at the Press Association, as well as creating programme content for Hull City and venturing into music reviews, Brad quickly learnt the joy that comes with the variety of a career in journalism. Getting a story published in Karan Tejwani’s Iberia Chronicles book in 2020 gave him the bug for bringing stories to life on anything he’s passionate about ever since, which ranges from food to football and stand-up comedy to solo holidays.
