Pop Heaven/Pop Hell: The Hoosiers - ‘Goodbye Mr A’

hoosiers Pop Heaven/Pop Hell: The Hoosiers Goodbye Mr A There’s nothing I like more than a moan. Often, I find myself looking at the charts and listening to what’s available just so I can whine and whine about how things aren’t as good as they used to be (notably the Sixties, which I’m far too young to even get close to). I find my moans cathartic and therefore helpful. However, occasionally a song comes along that is so painful to listen to that I glean absolutely no joy whatsoever. At the moment, that song is the horrific “Goodbye Mr A” by The Hoosiers.

Jaunty and jangly, “Goodbye Mr A” comes bouncing along like a Ben Folds Five cast-off. Bearing in mind that I’d rather cut my ears off and poo down the wounds than listen to Ben Folds, that’s saying something. The Hoosiers are clearly a wacky bunch. Their TV spots see the band horsing around and camply gasping at their own songs. These guys are obviously zany and fun… ie, the type of people that make you sink to your knees when they knock on your door.
Of course, it’s unashamed pop, and there’s nothing wrong with that per se… but by God, this record makes every muscle in my body tense up with anger. It’s appalling guff to be enjoyed by fans of Toploader and Ocean Colour Scene… and if you can’t see the problem there, then there’s no hope for you. If you’re brave enough, click here for a listen.