THE HOOSIERS - Trick To Life

A collection of indie belters that will pleasefans of Mika and ELO, this is a debut album that will definitely put a smile on your face. If The FeelingÃï¿½s slick high-crime pilfering of 70Ãï¿½s AOR is missing anything in particular--and they do run a tight operation--then itÃï¿½s a bit of throttle, a hint of recklessness, if thatÃï¿½s not too much of a contradiction in terms. Enter London-based trio The Hoosiers, who pogo like un-caged kids on Saturday morning TV hooked up to McFlurry drips, dancing to Twelve Stops and Home on fast-forward like everythingÃï¿½s 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 and add `ole Jellyfish and 70s soft-rock touches, as well. There is much that feels near-plagiarised. "Goodbye Mr A" has more than a little of ELOÃï¿½s signature "Mr Blue Sky" to it, "Worried About Ray" recalls The TurtlesÃï¿½ "Happy Together" and "Cops and Robbers" isnÃï¿½t even remotely coy about stealing wholesale from a tune as iconic as The CureÃï¿½s 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.

Song #1 - mp3

Song #2 - mp3

Song #3 - mp3