Hercules & Love Affair / Blues Songs
Album: Blues Songs   Collection:General
Artist:Hercules & Love Affair   Added:Aug 2011
Label:Moshi Moshi Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2012-03-24 Pull Date: 2012-05-26
Week Ending: May 20 May 13 May 6 Apr 22
Airplays: 2 1 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Apr 12, 2014: Music Casserole
Chanel
4. May 12, 2012: the gilded youth
Painted Eyes
2. May 19, 2012: the gilded youth
Falling
5. May 01, 2012: Clubbing Zeal
My House
3. May 15, 2012: Clubbing Zeal
My House
6. Apr 18, 2012: Seize the Sounds
Leonora

Album Review
Allen Thayer
Reviewed 2012-03-24
The second full length album from dance music newcomers led by Andy Butler. This release is one full album plus a bonus remix album. Both CDs will be reviewed below. Mix of vintage house and spacy disco tracks recorded in Vienna and Denver.FCC Clean.
I recommend tracks: #2, #4, #7, #13

1)* Painted Eyes 6:04 – mid-tempo bouncy beat and wistful vocals then the 80s keyboard come in, followed by strings before the main beat drops and fender Rhodes textures slide underneath the beat, female vocal enters; 2)** My House 4:54 Bleepy house anthem with unusual scat vocals and minimal beat; 3)* Answers Come in Dreams 5:25 – built on disco sample with chicken scratch with keyboards layered on top and building vocals; 4)** Leonora 4:34 – pop-funk jam with a bouncy bass-line and beat with keys coming in and out; 5) Boy Blue 5:02 – dramatic vocal intro (guest vocalist, here with a more “professional” voice) and pulsing beat, strummed acoustic guitar and muted horns – much slower and meditative than previous songs; 6) Blue Songs 5:39 – wispy tune with flute and floating vocals, not that far from Arthur Russell, but a little more predictable – nice glockenspiel; 7)** Falling 4:56 – poppy disco tune reminiscent of 80s dance pop - one could jazzercise to this; 8) I Can’t Wait 5:57 – blipping-blooping dance pop with sassy femme vocals ; 9) Step Up 4:06 – C&C music factory-sounding club vibe at first then gets a bit more new-wavy with lead vocals; 10) Visitor 4:43 - detached male vocals and industrial disco beat; 11) It’s Alright 6:02 – Remake of a track best known by the Pet Shop Boys, nice vocal but kinda boring version that doesn’t go anywhere; 12) Revenge 4:44; poppy female vocals and bouncy bass beat; 13)** Chanel 2 6:12; cool disco-flavored cut with muted trumpets, dancing congas and Moroder styled synth backdrop; 14) Shelter 3:46; pulsating beats and female vocals with catchy hook

Disc 2-1) My House (Stopmakingme Remix) 6:22; I like the accapela vocal intro, but otherwise doesn’t add that much to the original version Disc 2-2) My House (Tensnake Remix) 8:03 intro sounds like a Technotronic house mix – very 90s sounding with synths stabs and vocal samples; Disc 2-3) My House (Derrick Carter's BHQ Voodoo Remix) 9:08 driving version with faster tempo combining accapela bits with 4-4 pulsating beat; Disc 2-4) My House (Andy Butler Remix) 5:50 stripped-down version with better ups and downs and open spaces, but still less exciting that album version; Disc 2-5) Painted Eyes (In Flagranti Remix) 6:35 nice build in this experimental disco-flavored remix – flute and sampled vocals providing nice layering on top of bouncy disco beat – mostly instrumental; Disc 2-6) Painted Eyes (Moonlight Matters Remix) 5:55 dramatically reconstructed version that finally kicks in a 1:45 with lord of the disco dance styled groove, then gets a little never-ending-story-ish; Disc 2-7) Painted Eyes (Wolfram Remix) 6:16 lo-fi sounding NIN effect with scratchy beats on the intro before beat drops before reaching chorus.

Track Listing
1. Painted Eyes   6. Blue Songs
2. My House   7. Falling
3. Answers Come In Dreams   8. I Can't Wait
4. Leonora   9. Step Up
5. Boy Blue   10. Visitor
  11. It's Alright