As you listen to all three Hooverphonic albums you will hear a difference in sound which seperates each one in their own distinct way but I think that BLUE WONDER POWER MILK is their most mature album to date, thus deserving a ton of recognition. And despite the fact that I strongly feel that their first album, A NEW STEREOPHONIC SOUND SPECTACULAR was a bit disappointing just because of all the excess hype, their third album THE MAGNIFICENT TREE seemed to smooth out all the uneven edges, despite the fact that it took an unexpected turn toward the dreamy yet very mainstream pop scene. BLUE WONDER POWER MILK, however, seems to sit perfect in the middle as their most impressive work yet. I also think it wise of them to have replaced the lead singer Liesje Sadonius with that of Geike Arnaert. She just seems to have more feeling to her voice which adds an unexpected warmth to the cool, chilled-out electro beats amidst the smooth string arrangments that rise with the momentum of the songs. "Renaissance Affair" and "Battersea" are prime-examples of this while songs like "One Way Ride" and "This Strange Effect" have more of a dream-pop sound that'll remind you of groups like Mandalay, Olive, Morcheeba and Joydrop. Even Alex Callier lends his rapturous male vocals on songs like "Dictionary" and "Electro Shock Faders" which elevates the album to a haunting effect. I also really dig "Eden" (which my favorite pop singer, Sarah Brightman, did a cover of) and the cold "Magenta" with its mystique speak-singing that grips the soul with an icy chill that's refreshing and new...

This is by far the best Hooverphonic album so buy it without a thought and enjoy...

This is highly recommended.

I guess that this album is classified as a "Trip Hop" album, and Trip Hop lovers will probably buy it. I'm a trip hop lover, and I bought this album of course, and found out it is not trip hop. Still, it's a fanatastic album.

Trip Hop uses the drums and sinths of Hip Hop to make sound more like ambient. This album doesn't have this sound. It doesn't sound like Portishead, Massive of Mono. It sounds like Hooverphonic : a sound that is almost pure acustic (they use orchestra) but still will be a favorite of electronic sound lovers.

The album begins quite fast, with a strange drum & bass beat over slow string tune ("Battersea") and kind of slowing down until a noisy break in the middle ("Lung") and then goes down to slower and a very darker sound.

Three tracks in this album have a male vocal. That's an interesting thing, because most of the bands usually have one leading vocal, and it adds to the diversity of sounds.

Pay attention to "Club Montepulciano" and "This Strange Effect", which are, for my opinion, the best tunes in this album, listen to the voice of the singer almost breaking every glass in the house, and be hypnotized - like I was.

Like the arcing canopy of a forest which no one sees on a chilly rainy day, on this cd, its followup to the similarly tremendous A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular, Hooverphonic has created a rending symphony of heartache, wistfulness, and icy cool which causes us to long for the unnameable. Songs like Battersea and Eden speak of places--not just geographic--to which we wished we might have gone, had we the chance. But like the past, Hooverphonic's arrangements move us far from what we recognize of ourselves once we see it, and toward a longing--as the great poet Robert Hass wrote, "Longing, we say, because desire is full of endless distances."

Those distances we see far too clearly in this music.

Of the three Hooverphonic albums I own, "Blue Wonder Power Milk" is my favorite. I do love "The Magnificent Tree" as well as "A New Stereophnic Sound Spectacular" but I have to go with "Blue Wonder Power Milk" as my particular favorite Hooverphonic album. The delicate, subtle melodies are simply exquisite and breathtaking. The Belgium band here incorporates a more classical sound to their electronic-based music which isn't heard on their other two albums. The song "Eden" which one of my favorite female vocalists Sarah Brightman covers is heard on this cd. I like both versions so I can't say which is better. "One Way Ride" and "Battersea" reminds me a bit of Goldfrapp with that orchestral sound. I can't help but notice on "Blue Wonder Power Milk" how different Geike Arnaert sounds as opposed to the other albums. Plus Alex Callier is given more songs to sing which might I add his vocals sounds rapturous too. Hooverphonic is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite bands and "Blue Wonder Power Milk" has established their place in my heart.

I had never heard of this band until a few months ago, when 2 of this album's tunes were featured on the tv show "La Femme Nikita." Now I am so glad I bought this CD! "Eden" and "This Strange Effect" are both great songs, but so is the rest of the album, especially "Club Montepuciano" and "Magenta," just to name a few. Every time I play this CD I find that there is something else I like about it. A lot of people won't buy CDs from non-mainstream bands because they are afraid that they won't like the entire album. I used to be guilty of that myself! I am so glad to finally get tuned in to some great music and found out what I have been missing all these years. Take my word for it--you will love this one.