Blue Songs (album)

Blue Songs
Studio album by Hercules and Love Affair
Released January 28, 2011
Recorded
Genre
Length 57:02
Label Moshi Moshi
Producer
Hercules and Love Affair chronology

Hercules and Love Affair
(2008)		 Blue Songs
(2011)		 The Feast of the Broken Heart
(2014)
Singles from Blue Songs
  1. "My House"
    Released: December 13, 2010
  2. "Painted Eyes"
    Released: April 18, 2011

Blue Songs is the second studio album by American electronic music band Hercules and Love Affair, released on January 28, 2011 by Moshi Moshi Records. The album features guest appearances from Bloc Party's Kele Okereke on the song "Step Up," and also includes vocal contributions from Kim Ann Foxman, Aerea Negrot and Shaun Wright.[1] The song "It's Alright" is a cover of the Pet Shop Boys' 1988 song of the same name, originally recorded and released by Sterling Void and Paris Brightledge in 1987.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 68/100[2]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [3]
The A.V. Club B[4]
Drowned in Sound 7/10[5]
The Guardian [6]
musicOMH [7]
Pitchfork Media 6.6/10[8]
PopMatters 7/10[9]
Rolling Stone [10]
Slant Magazine [11]
Spin 7/10[12]

Blue Songs received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[2] Barry Walters of Spin wrote that "Blue Songs‍ '​ prevailing mood is deep indigo, not ultraviolet, yet that darkness heightens and complicates. By shunning regulation house fierceness, Butler and crew offer gentle nocturnal sacrament."[12]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Painted Eyes"  Andrew Butler 6:02
2. "My House"  
  • Butler
  • Roberto Gallegos
 4:52
3. "Answers Come in Dreams"  
  • Butler
  • Gallegos
 5:24
4. "Leonora"  Butler 4:32
5. "Boy Blue"  Butler 5:00
6. "Blue Songs"  Butler 5:38
7. "Falling"  
  • Butler
  • Gallegos
 4:54
8. "I Can't Wait"  
  • Butler
  • Kim Ann Foxman
 5:55
9. "Step Up"  Butler 4:04
10. "Visitor"  
  • Butler
  • Gallegos
 4:41
11. "It's Alright"  
  • Sterling Void
  • Paris Brightledge
 6:00
Total length:
 57:02

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Blue Songs.[14]

Hercules and Love Affair
Additional personnel

  • Mike Aaberg – performer, musician
  • Rich Armstrong – performer, musician
  • Marco Braca – grooming
  • Sheldon Brown – performer, musician
  • Marcelo Burlon – creative director
  • Crane – design
  • Simon Davey – mastering
  • Lynn Farmer – performer, musician
  • Jose Flores – performer, musician
  • Raffaele Grossi – assistant photography
  • Evan Herring – performer, musician
  • Matteo Montanari – photography
  • Murdoch – marble engraving
  • Kele Okereke – performer, musician
  • Patrick Pulsinger – co-production, mixing (tracks 1–7, 9–11); performer, musician
  • Jakob Schneidewind – performer, musician
  • Martin Siewert – performer, musician
  • Jeremy Turner – performer, musician
  • Marty Wehner – performer, musician
  • Morgan Wiley – performer, musician

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Austrian Albums Chart[15] 57
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[16] 79
German Albums Chart[17] 75
Swiss Albums Chart[18] 89
UK Albums Chart[19] 105
US Dance/Electronic Albums[20] 25

Release history

Region Date Label
Germany[21] January 28, 2011 Cooperative Music
France[22] January 31, 2011
United Kingdom[23] Moshi Moshi
Italy[24] February 8, 2011 Cooperative Music
Australia[25] February 18, 2011 Moshi Moshi
United States[13] August 16, 2011

References

  1. ↑ NME
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Hercules And Love Affair – Hercules and Love Affair". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  3. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Blue Songs – Hercules & Love Affair". AllMusic. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Hercules And Love Affair: Blue Songs". The A.V. Club. The Onion. February 22, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  5. ↑ Woolley, Hayden (January 27, 2011). "Hercules & Love Affair – Blue Songs". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ Macpherson, Alex (January 27, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songs – review". The Guardian. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  7. ↑ Edgell, Ben. "Hercules And Love Affair – Blue Songs". musicOMH. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  8. ↑ Wolk, Douglas (January 31, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songs". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  9. ↑ Kholeif, Omar (January 20, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songs". PopMatters. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  10. ↑ Hermes, Will (August 16, 2011). "Blue Songs". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  11. ↑ Henderson, Eric (January 30, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songs". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Walters, Barry (August 16, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair, 'Blue Songs' (Moshi Moshi)". Spin. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Breihan, Tom (July 12, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair Reveal "Painted Eyes" Video, U.S. Album Release, American Tour". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  14. ↑ Blue Songs (CD liner notes). Hercules and Love Affair. Moshi Moshi Records. 2011. MOSHICD38.
  15. ↑ "Hercules And Love Affair – Blue Songs" (in German). austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Hercules And Love Affair – Blue Songs" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Hercules & Love Affair, Blue Songs" (in German). charts.de. Media Control. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Hercules And Love Affair – Blue Songs". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Chart Log UK – Weekly Updates Sales 2011". The Zobbel Website. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Hercules & Love Affair – Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Blue Songs" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Blue songs – Hercules And Love Affair" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Hercules & Love Affair – Blue Songs". Moshi Moshi Records. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Hercules and Love Affair – Blue Songs" (in Italian). IBS. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Blue Songs – Hercules and Love Affair". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.