Sit Down and Listen to: the Live Theater Recordings

Could it Be? 2005-05-09 Could it be that this, their fifth CD, far from being a rehash of their earlier releases, is the most accomplished, rich and satisfying of all their efforts? YES!

Though I love all their CDS, each one contain a few tracks that are throw-aways, too similar in melody and production to the other songs on the same CD. NOT SO WITH "Sit Down and Listen To: The Live Theatre Recordings."

It's title a line from the tune, "Lullaby of Broadway," this disc plays like Hooverphonic Unplugged meets 1960's French Cinema Soundtracks to produce one hell of a super chilled jazz-vocal menu on half the songs, and Edith Piaf meets Dusty Springfield to serve up smoldering torch songs on the rest!

ALL the best songs from "A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular," "The Magnificent Tree" and "Jackie Cane" are represented here; the only mar being the short shrift given "Blue Wonder Power Milk," arguably Hooverphonic's best CD before "Sit Down." After hearing these haunting reworkings, I longed to hear "Magenta" in a similar vein.

The best of these rearrangements is "2Wicky," from their debut, in which Geike Arnaert kindles the tension in this song with a staccatto phrasing that eventually breaks into an all-consuming, feverish singing! Running a close second is "Sometimes" from their fourth release, a stripped-down, peppier version that mines the essential sunniness is this previously snowy song. Finally, "Vinegar & Salt" from "Magnificent Tree," turns a saucy song into a dirge delivery of chilling proportions, building into a bonfire of a eulogy!

All is not brilliant retread, however. Two previously unreleased tracks, "My Autumn's Done Come" and "The Last Thing I Need Is You" buttress an already rock-solid album. Shockingly, "The Last Thing" could be an Alanis Morrissette song, with it's frank lyrics and get-back attitude! But it's still essentially Hooverphonic -quirky lyrics, odd time-signatures and minor-key melodies. If this is the sign of things to come, this spunky triphop, then I will be sitting down and listening for a long time to come!

- Amazon