Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songs

Hercules and Love Affair
Blue Songs
Rating: Grrrr

Hercules and Love Affair's first album was a such a blast of updated 70s disco fun, that it was a foregone conclusion that leader Andy Butler would take his time working on the follow up. Sophomore albums are always a tricky business; on the one hand, you don't want to stray too far from the sound that made you popular in the first place, but you also don't want to do a direct copy as then you end up in a place of stasis. So now we have Blue Songs to ponder. It is definitely not Hercules and Love Affair Part II, but it is also not some left field total change of sound. Because of that, I can understand why people are not going to fully embrace this album like their debut. But I also think they are going to miss out on a beautifully crafted album.

Blue Songs is a hybrid of 70s disco meets late 80s Chicago house music, with a dash of Detroit techno. Gone are the haunting vocals of Antony Hegarty and Nomi Ruiz, as is the production duties of DFA stalwart Tim Goldsworthy. Andy adds vocalists Aerea Negrot, Shaun Wright, and Kele from Bloc Party, and production from Mark Pistel, who in the past has worked more with hip-hop and industrial acts like Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Meat Beat Manifesto and Consolidated. While these changes are immediately noticeable, and will for some be a deal breaker, Blue Songs is worth listening to with an open mind, and will reveal its many pleasures over time.

Butler still knows his way around a killer hook, and first single "My House," is no exception:



Using a killer bass line and sexy, icy drum machines, the track moves like a Porsche on the Autobahn, sleek and swift.

He similarly uses Kele to great effect on "Step Up," creating another classic four to the floor dance hit.



Butler also utlizes space and silence in a new way for him. Echoing the dub experiments of Grace Jones and Sly & Robbie, "Answers Come In Dreams," "Lenora," and "Visitor," use a more minimal approach, conjuring up images of coke-addled, paranoid evenings on the dance floor of Studio 54.





Much commentary has been made of the two middle tracks on the album, and how they "derail" the flow of the songs. Both "Boy Blue" and "Blue Song" are haunting electro-ballads, that do take things down a notch or two in the driving force of the album, but I think they show a brave willingness to try new things. I for one, think the two tracks are sublime.





This is not to say that Blue Songs is without its problems. Some of the more disco-esque tracks never really make it off the ground. "Falling" is practically generic. And their cover of Sterling Void's house classic "It's All Right," reimagines it as a beatless ballad, that drones on for almost 6 minutes. Meant to be a show stopping closer to the album, it practically derails all the good will built up before.



Blue Songs is likely to be a polarizing album, in that most fans will want to hear more of the sound from Hercules and Love Affair. I, for one, am glad Butler is expanding his sound and trying new things. It makes for an exciting album, and makes Blue Songs worth the time and effort to get to know, and love.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.