Stockport’s own indie-darling-5-piece Blossoms have continued to stick to their steady 2-year album cycle by announcing the arrival of their 4th studio LP Ribbon Around the Atomic Bomb. To celebrate the announcement the group have also graciously prescribed us the title track as our first taste of their new sound. When I say new sound, I mean that in the sense of some new music; it sounds just like a Blossoms track. Don’t expect any new ideas. The track comes with an accompanying music video Directed by Arctic Monkeys creative director Edwin Burdis, watch it below.
Regarding the new single, the group’s frontman Tom Ogden had this to say to NME, “While on tour in 2019 in Mexico, I visited Frida Kahlo’s house. Looking at her paintings on show, someone had described one of them as being like a ‘ribbon around a bomb’.” Adding, “I immediately thought that it was a great title for a song and album because of the imagery that it evoked in my mind. I thought about how lots of things in life could be described as being a ribbon around a bomb in the sense that as people we often dress things up which have a darkness lying beneath them.” The rest of the album is set for release on April 29th, with the official store offering signed copies and access to tour dates yet to be announced. You can check here for details.
After confirming the album’s central theme revolves around a character called ‘The Writer’, could we begin to class this new phase of Blossoms as a concept album? Even more interestingly, Ogden explained, “The more songs I wrote, the more I realised that the writer referenced in the songs was in fact me.” I guess that means the whole concept album thing still applies, now with a more meta direction. “Having been so busy for the past eight years I and the band have never really had the chance to step back and reflect on what we’ve achieved. You’re so focused on the future; write the next album then tour. Your life is usually mapped out at least two years in advance.” The concept may be a little loose. But it’s a concept nonetheless. Come the end of April we will have all the details.
As mentioned before the group are yet to announce a tour in the albums name, but they are already booked in at a few festivals around the UK like Y Not, and Truck Festival. In conjunction with a support slot alongside The Killers on their UK stadium tour, Blossoms are going to have a busy year. Find details for all of their upcoming shows here.
