Hoosiers, The - The Illusion Of Safety

Album Review

THE HOOSIERS is an English pop/rock band formed in 2003; they released their debut album ‘The Trick to Life’ in 2007. ‘The Illusion Of Safety’ is an interesting album; it´s easy to categorize it as "happy sounding music" but if you kind of scratch a bit on the surface and go deeper into the songs, you find so much more than you might have expected first. Like a red thread, the sharp lyrics and good melodies take you all through the album and it gives them a very nice edge.

‘Choices’ is the first single from the album and I think that this catchy song is a very good one to use to introduce the album with. Cool synth sounds meet you in the intro and blend very well with the rest of the sound. ‘Who Said Anything (About Falling in Love)?’ has a laidback feeling and sound, but as the lyrics carry on through the song the story unfolds. I like the blend of serious lyrics with the playful sounding music. Talk about a chorus that easily gets stuck on your mind and that at least I can relate to. ‘Devil’s in the Detail’ is very different from the rest of the songs; I don’t think that I ever have heard anything like this before. Simple, almost bare sounding music, together with the way Alphonso Sharland sings and phrases the words creates one amazing song. The depths and for lack of better words "soulfulness" is something that really affects and moves me.

‘Little Brutes’ is the last song on the album and this one became an instant favourite from the first time I listened to it. A mesmerizing intro that in my ears sounds kind of medieval makes me close my eyes for a moment, then the slow and special sounding vocals starts to tell a sad and dark story. Sometimes, it sounds like it is two persons singing with a darker voice shadowing Irwin´s.


Tracklist

01. Choices
02. "Bumpy Ride
03. Who Said Anything (About Falling in Love)?
04. Unlikely Hero
05. Lovers in My Head
06. Live by the Ocean
07. Devil's in the Detail
08. Glorious
09. Made To Measure
10. Giddy Up
11. Sarajevo
12. Little Brutes


Line up

Irwin Sparkes - Vocals, Guitar
Martin Skarendahl - Bass Guitar, Guitar
Alphonso "Alan" Sharland - Drums, Vocals


Website

http://www.thehoosiers.com/gb/home/


Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8 / 10


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