REVIEW: Hooverville, Blue Wonder Power Milk (Epic)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Were it not for the fact that countless other artists have made dreamy electronica with strings and sparkly noises, Hooverphonic's latest release, Blue Wonder Power Milk might be worthy of some attention. Instead, all we find is a rehash of what Depeche Mode did so brilliantly in the 80's with little flashes of Soho's "Hippychick" and ambient techno slipping in here and there.
Unfortunately, Hooverville never expands past the musical landscape of their predecessors. The use of a full orchestra is interesting, but ultimately diversionary from the more fundamental problems. "Eden" makes nice use of what sounds like french horns set against a cello or two. The production is tight and flawless. Geike Arnaert's lyrics are particularly arresting on this track, but despite crossing the proverbial "t"'s, the song remains flat. Arnaert, the horns, and the strings simply repeat without any sense of passion or drama. Music of this type often moves the listener to deep emotions, but Hooverville simply finds the groove and stick there. "Renaissance Affair" is similar, but it actually has some emotional depth to it. Unfortunately, "Renaissance Affair" ends with a extended high pitched string part that gradually becomes incredibly annoying.
"Out of Tune" works on a few levels because it tosses up the sound. Arnaert's airy vocals soar behind the mix of a simple drum beat, satellite guitars, and sound effects tossed in and out. The notes bend around the beat in a way which creates rhythm from the mis-tuning. The song which follows, "This Strange Effect" continues with the mood started by "Out of Tune". It uses Arnaert's voice as a sonic anchor while the waves of the instruments weave and bob around it. There's a slight Julee Cruise feel to "This Strange Effect" which leaves the listener distanced by the snarled music but drawn ever closer by the diva inside.
But typically, Hooverville seems to have an idea for a song that leaves no room for much variation or depth. It's kind of like a demo for each song that shows you how neat it could be, but never goes all the way. Blue Wonder Power Milk is never mellow enough to be ambient, never pop enough to be radio friendly, never driven enough to be dance, and never weird enough to be ear candy. It is an impeccably produced and performed album that never really shows any soul or emotional depth.
