The Magnificent Tree

Third album from the Belgian trip-hopping trio who's breakthrough '2 Wicky' was used to good effect during the murder sequence in the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. Since then their undeniably infectious cinematic textures have been used on everything from Volkswagen TV ads to Baywatch.

Like much of their earlier work The Magnificent Tree blends all the best elements of Portishead, Massive Attack and Morcheeba with a bit of Air and even Dido thrown into the mix. Which is not to say it isn't original. Vocalist Geike Arnaert, like Liz Fraser in the Cocteau Twins, glides effortlessly

over the moody textures provided here by violas, trumpets, even a children's choir as well as clever programming.

The recent single, 'Mad About You', is engaging but 'Jackie Cane', written with Cathy Dennis at a UK songwriting seminar, is far better. Indeed, with its marrying of Morricone-styled spaghetti western guitar licks to a soaring chorus, a Top 10 berth can’t be too far away. The title track skillfully samples Crosby Stills' & Nash's 'Guinnivere' while the syncopated 'Pink Fluffy Dinosaurs' is melodically appealing.

But any album that contains a song as embarrassing as ‘Frosted Flake Wood’ needs to be approached with caution.