The Hoosiers – Compassion (2026)
The Hoosiers are back with their usual fun, melodic and high-energy indie pop on their sixth studio album Compassion. It has been heralded by drummer Alan Sharland as their best record and a “big stanky hug” to the fans who still support the duo.
The Hoosiers, now solely Sharland and vocalist Irwin Sparkes, can boast a UK number one album (their 2007 debut The Trick To Life) in their list of achievements. Two particular singles from that release, ‘Worried About Ray’ and ‘Goodbye Mr A’ are nothing short of noughties classics. Since 2014, they have been releasing albums on Crab Race, a small independent label. They’ve always had a close bond with their fans and have been giving them the chance to pre-order their music for over 10 years.
This latest release is a fine mix of uptempo and reflective tracks which make Compassion a very cohesive listen. Some obvious highlights are recent single ‘Jigsaw Heart’, with its clever song title, has 80s-like synths and a great tempo: “I don’t know if I could ever make it through / I’m in pieces without you / My jigsaw heart“. ‘Sleeping With The Light On’ has an unusual extraterrestrial intro and has a great vibe to it. The Hoosiers give us infectious ad-libs with the “eee-yo’s!” While ‘Permission To Rest’ has a great flow to it with dense production. The chorus is gorgeous: “You don’t need permission to rest / You gotta show yourself love / You did your best / Pretty soon there’ll be nothing left / Did you know that there’s a choice / Just take a breath”.
So what motivates The Hoosiers to keep going after 20 years? Sharland mentions: “We really enjoy that we can write, record and produce an album. To do this for a living for a long time is still the number one goal. That and an Ivor Novello Award“! It is evident that The Hoosiers still haven’t lost any of the passion to keep creating music from when they first appeared in 2007. The UK scene then was littered with other great indie bands like Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party and The Wombats.
There’s simply no duds on this album. ‘Multiply’ is a strong opener with scratchy guitars, ‘Automatic Glow’ is a nice feel-good track with an acoustic break similar to ‘Waves’ by Mr. Probz, and ‘Don’t Hang Your Head’ is a lush, slower pace with great harmonies over soft guitar.
Compassion is a wonderful album full of those traditional three-minute pop songs. The Hoosiers are a duo which continues to evolve; they’ve had numerous line-up changes over the years. They sound hell-bent on satisfying long-standing fans whilst eager to find new ones. Sharland adds: “I think compassion is the one thing the world needs more than ever“. That quote and everything about this album hits the mark.
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