The Hoosiers - Confidence - Album Review

The Hoosiers are back after eight year with 'Confidence' their fifth album.

We all remember that band/artist we discovered outside of our parent’s playlists. For me, that was in 2007 with The Hoosiers and their hit Worried About Ray. It was at that moment I fell in love with music. Their debut album The Trick to Life is one of my all-time favorite albums and possibly without them, I wouldn’t be here reviewing their fifth studio album Confidence.

After an eight-year hiatus that saw them dropped by their record label, frontman Irwin Sparkles ventured into working solo under White Tail Falls. The duo is back with Confidence and, boy does this album have it.

Confidence reintroduces you to The Hoosiers with an instrumental opening, that segues into Making a Monster. A double bass intro with a superb jazz section as The Hoosiers announce they’re back with a track that feels like it could have come off their fourth album The Secret Service. The lead single Hello Sunshine follows a warming track filled with optimism and hope before we venture on a road trip to Idaho. The adventure feeling continues on G.O.A.T, filled with stunning drums from Al Sharland and a dash of Brass and you can’t go wrong with a dash of Brass.

The fun vibes temper on the bombastic yet heartfelt Lip Sinking. A brilliant exploration of self-doubt and suppression of independent thinking. This isn’t the only time the band gets political with their aptly titled Snowflake. A short interlude Losing Your Balance proceeds a daft-punk-esque Things You Remember when You’re Falling. A superbly witty track exploring the little things we remember/ stress about. The lyrics and tone here show a maturity to The Hoosier’s sound while keeping their playful nature.

The title track Confidence (Is Easy) is a short track that packs a punch- stuffed with awesome instrumentals from the guitars to the best use of the brass instruments on the album. This track feels like a spiritual successor to The Trick to Life. So High (acoustic) showcases Irwin’s incredible vocals, able to pull the emotions out of you.

Confidence concludes with the energetic and keyboard-led Lying, a bouncing and instrumental marvel, with a catchy chorus. A perfect way to conclude a perfectly-paced album.

Confidence sonically picks up where the band left off eight years ago. A fun, mature ride that you’ll end up repeating. The Hoosiers bring the fun to music and their fifth outing does just that. Definitely one of my favorite albums of the year.