rip-hop is dead. Irretrievably moribund, at the very least. What looked to be the future of hip-hop/r&b in the early 90s has now sadly fizzled out, with staunch practitioners either abandoning the genre, or cranking out pale imitations of former glories.


Let's run down the all-star roster. Massive Attack delivered what was possibly trip-hop's last great moment with 1998's Mezzanine, which pointed the way to a more guitar-based sound, and we won't see another album by them for at least another year. Morcheeba has now gone fully pop, as has Olive, with average and truly awful releases, respectively. Tricky is badly in need of direction, and Portishead is...wait - where the hell IS Portishead? Where "Unfinished Sympathy" once ruled the airwaves, Dido now reigns (a great artist, but she's NOT trip-hop).


So, fans of the laid-back, fusion-heavy and often ominous genre don't have much to celebrate. That makes the fact that Hooverphonic, a group that almost went completely pop on 1998's Blue Wonder Power Milk, have made a return to the fold with their new release, The Magnificent Tree.


Well, sort of. Hooverphonic was never a trip-hop obsessive's favorite group to name-check, as they've always embraced lighter sounds more frequently than their contemporaries. While The Magnificent Tree doesn't float around in a smokey, Isaac Hayes-ambiance, it does sport lackadasiac beats alongside plenty of high-end electronica touches. Fans of Blue Wonder Power Milk shouldn't fret, though - The Magnificent Tree has plenty of sweeping ballads, which actually make up the bulk of the album (in fact, "Mad About You" is probably their finest effort in that vein to date).


The only stumbling block Hooverphonic get tripped up on is that like its predecessor, The Magnificent Tree relies more on concrete songs than wafty, sparse and airy jams. A number of songs on this release miss their mark, including the opener, "Autoharp," which can't decide whether it wants to be a mood-setter or sing-along. "Out Of Sight" is a passable song, but retreads the same ground Blue Wonder did, a disappointment considering the adventurous nature of the group. And speaking of going over familiar ground, the track "Renaissance Affair" makes its second appearance on a Hooverphonic full-length, presumably to only cash in on its inclusion in a VW Beetle commercial. At least we know ad reps have good taste in music.


Disregard the few rotten apples, and you've still got a bushel overflowing with tasty, luscious and lush music. The Magnificent Tree can be so evocative as to conjure up its own world at times, a land seen through a hazy blue filter, filled with lead singer Geike Arneart's stream-of-consciousness lyrics and woozy soundscapes.


Arnaart's lyrics won't win her any literary prizes soon, but she manages to keep an air of whimsy over the album. Whether this is the product of a conscious effort to do so, or just an incomplete mastery of the English language is up for debate (they're Belgian).


Tracks like "Waves" and "Jacky Cane" are fairy tales for a rave's chill-out room, filled with childlike wonder and playful mysticism. Arnaert's vocal grows frosted ice crystals on your speakers, while Alex Callier's bass attempts to melt them at the same time. Dreamy programming sprinkles your mind's eye with a sky filled with stars in the heavens, an illusion only furthered by lines like "Stars will guide us through this exotic white."


"Frosted Flake Wood" ups the ante on Hooverphonic's fairy world, perhaps to excess. Aside from being an interesting curiosity, the only thing this song proves is that Hooverphonic must eat a lot of mushrooms, and I'm not talking about portabellos, either. Still, you have to admire a group that has the courage to sing about a talking fungus.


The Magnificent Tree's best moments come in the form of opulent ballads that wallow in over-production that actually works. "Mad About You," the best of the lot, contains not only one of the group's most memorable melodies, but an emotional directness that's been previously wanting.


Instead of singing about dolphins or pink dinosaurs, Arnaert belts out "Give me all your true hate and I'll translate it in our bed." "Vinegar & Salt" also shows this newfound grasp of personal lyrics. A resplendent string section provides Arnaert with wings as she floats above you, informing a lover that "You are the oil that dissolves my frustrations/limitations/but sometimes I don't' dare ask why."


It may sound like all these conflicting styles would make for a messy and jarring listen, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The basic tenets of their music (and of trip-hop in general) hasn't changed. Slow-to-simmer beats, frugal use of guitars, and narcotized vocals are still the norm. The Magnificent Tree has roots that go back a long way, and Hooverphonic isn't about to cease tending to them just because it's no longer fashionable.


It isn't quite the head trip it sets out to be, and is rarely extraordinary, but The Magnificent Tree manages to impress consistently. Slap on some headphones (which is where Hooverphonic really takes life) on a blustery winter night and lose yourself in their calming tones.