The Magnificent Tree

1	Autoharp 4:22
2	Mad About You 3:43
3	Waves 4:01
4	Jacky Cane 4:20
5	The Magnificent Tree 3:54
6	Vinegar and Salt 3:20
7	Frosted Flake Wood 3:17
8	Everytime We Live Together We Die a Bit More 3:35
9	Out of Sight 3:55
10	Pink Fluffy Dinosaurs 3:50
11	L' Odeur Animale 4:32
12	Renaissance Affair Bonus Track 3:25

Barnes & Noble

Some bands set out to make a memorable tune; Hooverphonic go one step further and create memorable moods -- a skill in ample evidence when their track "Renaissance Affair" was used in a TV commercial for the limited-edition Volkswagen Vapor (the song was so popular with TV viewers that it's also included here as a bonus track). On The Magnificent Tree, their third album, the Belgian trio continue the cinematic, electronic pop of their first two albums but offer more diversity in the songwriting (e.g. the emotionally potent "Out of Sight") and instrumentation (guitar, beats, and samples are joined by cello, autoharp, and horns). "Mad About You" sets the mood for a cool strut across the dance floor, "Vinegar and Salt" thrusts the listener into a sultry film noir, and the dreamy "Pink Fluffy Dinosaurs" takes us "floating on air." Likewise, singer Geike Arnaert shows more passion with occasional aggressive or sultry vocals, although she can still sound as angelic as ever on the high notes. Like Portishead or Morcheeba, Hooverphonic shun the anonymous vibe of some electronica to fill their songs with personality, mood, and attitude. Wendy Mitchell

All Music Guide

Belgium's dream pop trio Hooverphonic has seemed to creatively move beyond their icy smooth seascape found on 1998's Blue Wonder Power Milk and shift into a darkwave mood on their third full-length, The Magnificent Tree. Classic embryonic vocalic beauty from Geike Arnaert still carries the translucence of the band's signature ethereality, and she shines as hard as she did on the band's previous releases. However, musical composition on songs such as "Pink Fluffy Dinosaurs" and "Frosted Flake Wood" are more intricate and sonically defined. Chief songwriter and programmer Alex Callier and guitarist Raymond Geerts aim for abstract theatrics; multi-instrumentation is brooding and creeping, but Hooverphonic's distinct maturation cannot overshadow the gorgeous, flowing soundscapes they previously laid down. It's not disheartening by any means, for Hooverphonic does compose an attractive depiction of revamped new wave elements and twisted synth-pop in the face of new millennium teendom. They are far from manufactured label-conscious musical fascism, yet still are represented by a major label. But staying true to the Julee Cruise-like ambience, songs such as "Out of Sight" and "Mad About You" are thoroughly dramatic and make for an illustrious listen. The Magnificent Tree has not completely ignored the musical mystery, and the listener shouldn't forget such mastery while Hooverphonic's cultivation had to be perfectly split. MacKenzie Wilson