Having jumped on the prog-pop revival bandwagon kick-started by
the Feeling
in 2007, Anglo-Swedish trio
the Hoosiers
could have been forgiven for sticking to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude following the success of their chart-topping debut,
The Trick to Life
, and their two huge airplay hits,
"Worried About Ray"
and
"Goodbye Mr. A."
However, for follow-up
The Illusion of Safety
, they've wisely eschewed the often irritating overly quirky nature of their falsetto-led first offering in favor of a much more contemporary synth pop sound, which has more in common with the '80s output of
Pet Shop Boys
than the vintage theatrics of
ELO
Sparks
. The elaborate multi-layered harmonies, air-punching choruses, and lead singer
Irwin Sparkes
' infectious enthusiasm are still as prominent as ever, but this time round, they're complemented by a more imaginative glossier production from the likes of
Max Dingel
(
White Lies
),
Jay Reynolds
Just Jack
), and former
Jamiroquai
keyboardist
Toby Smith
. Lead single
"Choices"
is a perfect example, a hook-laden pure pop song full of
Calvin Harris
-style spacy synths, swooping vocals, and fast-paced panpipes, offering more inventiveness in its three-minute running time than the entirety of their debut. The call-and-response chorus of
"Bumpy Ride,"
the glam-inspired
"Giddy Up,"
and the arcade game intro and self-deprecating lyrics of
"Unlikely Hero"
are just as convincing attempts at Hi-NRG stadium-sized pop, which makes the album's occasional shift into more introspective downbeat territory even more surprising. The skittering percussion, glockenspiel backing, and abstract electronica of
"Devil's in the Detail"
could have been lifted from
Radiohead
's
OK Computer
, the techno beats and angular guitars of
"Sarajevo"
echo the indie dance of
Bloc Party
, and the haunting choral chants and sparse acoustic instrumentation of
"Little Brutes"
is a strange way of closing an album that began with such pure pop vigor. But ignoring the apparent crisis of confidence that appears toward its finale,
is a well-constructed attempt at electro, bursting with potential singles, that goes some way in compensating for the cliches of their debut. ~ Jon O'Brien