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Hooverphonic's debut album is surprisingly cohesive, brilliant and spot on for a debut. The band contains a style that favors the 90's electronica/trip-hop genre, but while also putting their own spin on it. Every song on the album sounds completely different from another while all sounding like they "belong". The songs contain amazing moody atmospheres, thanks to the whirling, futuristic synths. The best thing about the album though is it's drum/beat tracks, heard especially in "Sarangi", the best track on the album. The drums are recorded in a heavy, upfront manner, making the sound of the songs extremely infectious and intriguing. "2 Wicky" is the most trip-hop influenced on the album, containing a slow and sexy drum pattern and moody vocal reverb in it's second half. "Barabas" is more moody, almost being just a complete instrumental of piano and emotional violin synths. "Cinderella" is the most eclectic, containing a trip-hop drum track along with a melancholy guitar and long wobbly-like synths. "Nr. 9" puts an amazing twist for the album production wise, managing to shoot bursts of shoegaze chords then resume to dream-pop hooks in the verses all while not sounding forced or scattered. The amazing "Sarangi" starts with tribal-like vocal chops, builds into an amazing heavy drum arrangement and eventually into a blurry, synth filled moody instrumentation. "Revolver" is a happy sounding track due to the guitar arrangements, but then changes in the chorus when the whirly synths kick in and add a touch of moodiness to it as well. The lyrical content of the songs somewhat play more of a background role in the soundscape, but are very metaphoric, yet in a very simple understated way, which makes them genius. Especially with vocalist Liesje Sadonius, who's voice and melancholy vocal arrangements compliments the atmospheric music excellently. Although, the album is definitely one where more emphasis is put on the music more so than lyrics, therefore it does contain a good feel of instrumental sections. The emotion every single one of these tracks produce though is brilliant, and is an album that can honestly fit any mood you're in. Some songs can seem to drag when not tuned in for a casual listen, but "A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular", the title of the album, delivers exactly what's promised. An amazing electronica album that's moody, emotional, catchy, diverse, and instantly memorable all in one take. Another amazing must-hear album from the 90's.

RATING- 10 / 10
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Track Picks:

2 Wicky
Barabas
Cinderella
Nr. 9
Sarangi
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