Blossoms - Foolish Loving Spaces

Bit cold at the moment, isn't it? We could probably do with a little lift, just to tide us over until Springtime. Luckily Blossoms have heard us and decided that maybe 10 glittering indie bangers will do the trick (they were right, in case that wasn't clear from this intro).

'Foolish Loving Spaces' takes the jangling, wide-eyed optimism of Blossoms' best songs and turns the dial up to 11, resulting in one of the most straightforwardly enjoyable albums you're likely to hear any time soon. Opener 'If You Think This Is Real Life' features a ludicrous chorus straight out of an 80s game show, all harmonies and synth lines, while the verses serve as a reassuring wink to the audience who might be wondering about the bizarre swerve the indie boys are taking.

From there, things settle down a bit, with lead single 'Your Girlfriend' setting the pace for the album on the whole. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but honestly, it doesn't need to – Blossoms know what they're good at and they pull it off effortlessly here, every song feeling perfectly written for singing along to at the top of your lungs while precariously balanced on your best mate's shoulders.

A slew of gold-plated bangers follows, before final track 'Like Gravity' stretches its legs a bit, running to nearly 6 minutes and taking the opportunity to add some sparse, Madchester-esque breakdowns. It's an unexpected experiment, but it doesn't stray too far from the rest of the album and reigns itself in well before it runs to self-indulgence. It's also just enough of a change in pace to show that this isn't a band content to rest on their laurels or one in any danger of getting stuck in a rut.

Basically what we're getting at is the fact that 'Foolish Loving Spaces' is Bloody Good Fun, and we defy anyone to not dream of festival season when they listen to it. Bucket Hats at the ready, readers, Stockport has done it again.

Jake Hawkes