The Blossoms - At Most A Kiss: Sounds familiar yet fresh

After overhearing a group of people raving about them in a Manchester bar, it's now clear to me why there's a buzz about the Blossoms.

Even in this short EP, the Stockport quartet pack in more variation than their cross-town contemporaries The Courteeners with the punchy indie-disco of lead track At Most A Kiss getting proceedings off to a stellar start.

There may be a hint of overproduction on the opener - always a risk after signing with a major - it shows the label’s faith in the Blossoms’ potential.

Follow-up track Fourteen is a grower and, with its good synth hook, recalls some of the Arctic Monkeys’ more recent output.

While most of the tracks on At Most A Kiss may sound familiar, this is the only one where any influences stand out.

Sounding familiar yet fresh is a good skill to have. As is the ability to write catchy hooks.

There’s another one on Wretched Fate, which also possesses a certain Sixties vibe.

The strings and piano of Misery conclude an EP that demonstrates an impressive yet pleasingly cohesive variation in just four short tracks.