Rock Bands & Pop Stars
The Hoosiers Pictures
Band:
The Hoosiers
Origin:
United Kingdom, London - EnglandUnited Kingdom
Band Members:
Irwin Sparkes (vocals, guitar), Martin Skarendahl (bass, guitar), and Alfonso “Alan”” Sharland (drums)
The Hoosiers Album: «Trick To Life»
The Hoosiers Album: «Trick To Life» (Front side)
    Album information
  • Customers rating: (3.9 of 5)
  • Title:Trick To Life
  • Release date:
  • Type:Audio CD
  • Label:
  • UPC:
Customers rating
Track listing
Review - Product Description
2007 debut album that follows the huge UK success of their singles 'Worried About Ray' and 'Goodbye Mr. A'. The Trick To Life is an album filled with upbeat treats, as well as glimpses of a deeper, darker edge. On tracks like 'Run Rabbit Run' and 'A Sadness Runs Through Him', Irwin's soaring, jaw-droppingly powerful vocals lead listeners through a maze of melodic mayhem, with influences ranging from The Cure through to Supertramp, laced with some early Genesis (the bible verse not the band). However, fans of 'Worried About Ray' need fear not, for 'Worst Case Scenario', the somewhat sinister 'Killer', and title track 'The Trick To Life', punctuate the album's uncompromising landscape with literally tens of minutes of rich and compelling music, which will have you bouncing around your bedroom and/or living room. RCA.
Review - Amazon.com
If the Feeling’s slick high-crime pilfering of '70s AOR is missing anything in particular--and they do run a tight operation--then it’s a bit of throttle, a hint of recklessness, if that’s not too much of a contradiction in terms. Enter London-based trio the Hoosiers, who pogo like uncaged kids on Saturday morning TV hooked up to McFlurry drips, dancing to Twelve Stops and Home on fast-forward like everything’s quite normal. Or at least they do for much of the time–-"Clinging on for Life" for instance sidles off into an unusually mellow Nick Drake lay-by. But for the most part The Trick to Life is the work of Electric Light Orchestra and Supertramp half-inched, shaken up and handed to McFly to pop the cork. There is much that feels near-plagiarised. "Goodbye Mr A" has more than a little of ELO’s signature "Mr Blue Sky" to it, "Worried About Ray" recalls the Turtles’ "Happy Together" and "Cops and Robbers" isn’t even remotely coy about stealing wholesale from a tune as iconic as the Cure’s unmistakable "The Lovecats". And coming a little closer to home, "Run Rabbit Run" sees singer Irwin Sparkes unfurl a soprano tailor-made for a close impersonation of dreamy indie-poppers the Delays. But if none of that bothers you (or even if it does) the Hoosiers have a super-charged barrel of sugar rushes here that are dangerously immediate and difficult to ignore, sweet tooth or no sweet tooth. --James Berry
Customer review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
- Music crack

With their tongues firmly planted in cheeks, the Hoosiers are a party for your ears. It's an 80's movement just begun but all freshened up and made new again. Prog rock this is not. If you want light-hearted, inoffensive to all (except the hopelessly cynical), happy music: this is it.

Though perhaps not the most original music, these lads add an energy and earnestness that gives every tune a shot of Red Bull and vodka. And it's addictive stuff. I dare you not to like this music!

Customer review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
- A whimsically fun and bizarre album

The Hoosiers, when first breaking onto the scene could only be described as weird, yet unique. They gave us a sound that we truly don't hear that much on todays pop music scene, they present originality and simplicity to their music. The lead singer Irwin Sparks has said in interviews that the band wanted to be known as an Indie band but they're not cool enough, but let me tell you when comparing the Hoosiers to other "Indie" bands on the scene at the moment they're quite easily the best at what they do. Sparks has also noted that the Hoosiers sound is a blend of all music genres and they have named it "Odd Pop" it's pop that's a bit odd.

Citing their inspirations as being The Cure, The Flaming Lips & XTC you can certainly see the inspiration when listening to the album as most every song has a completely different feel to it. My personal favourites of the album are the up beat songs such as Goodbye Mr. A and Cops & Robbers, but I most certainly love nearly all the songs on the album with the exception of Worst Case Scenario which in my opinion is the worst song on the album.

My Top 5

1. Cops & Robbers

2. Killer

3. Goodbye Mr. A

4. Worried About Ray

5. The Trick To Life

Brilliant album that should be owned by every American with a light hearted look at music.

Customer review
- Crazy music - just like the musicians

First off let me say that I know these guys. I went to college with Irwin and Alan (Alphonso) when they were in Indiana. They were definitely wacky guys then, and this album reflects their personalities. I heard about their band from the alumni magazine and thought it was worth a listen if only for the amusement factor. Little did I know that they were actually rather popular in Europe. I liked the few songs they had playing on their website, and thought that I might like the rest of the CD. I was right. While it's not my favorite, it is mostly good fun. I listen to this CD while I'm on the treadmill at the gym. The upbeat songs definitely keep me going. I especially like Cops and Robbers and Worried about Ray.

I wish The Hoosiers continued success, and maybe one day they'll head back to Indiana to play at the school where they picked up the name Hoosiers. (Which, understandably, they thought was a really strange word.)

Customer review
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
- Meh...

I loved the songs Worried About Ray and Goodbye Mr. A ,

But was pretty disappointed that I had to wait

A few weeks to get the CD from an overseas provider

(it isn't on iTunes).

The music itself wasn't worth the wait,

But I do enjoy the majority of the songs...

It just wasn't what I was expecting.

This is an album I would borrow the CD

From a friend, Not buy.

Too late.