In reply to Frank Pereiro.

Thanks for chiming in, Frank. I have been thinking about your question over the weekend.

Automattic's Livro, which I recently reviewed falls under that "simple blog theme" category. Wabi by Rich Tabor, also recently reviewed, has a few more options but is still pretty simple.

Those are just two of my recent favorites. However, most current block themes are relatively simple designs right now. Since it's a new system, not many developers have extended it with a ton of complexities just yet. With the 53 current themes, there's a decent variety to play around with.

If you are not quite ready to dive into a theme that relies on WordPress 5.9's site editor, Eksell by Anders Norén is still one of my go-to recommendations. Its design is a lot more modern, and if you're looking for something with more of an old-fashioned feel, it might not be what you're after.

There is one part of your question I didn't quite understand. What do you mean by "old-fashioned bluff styles"? That might help me or someone else find something more suitable to you.

If there are any other specifics about what you're after, I'd be happy to do some extra digging. The description of simple blog themes can mean different things to different people.