Hercules and Love Affair
Hercules and Love Affair Blue SongsMoshi Moshi/ Co-operative Music
Two years after releasing their acclaimed self-titled debut album in 2008 - which contained Blind, named the Pitchfork website's top song of 2008 - the disco enthusiasts return with another smashing album that will get fans of dance music from the past 30 years back on their feet.
Much like their previous effort, which featured vocalists from a wide range of genres putting a pop twist on the classic disco sound, Blue Songs continues Hercules and Love Affair's successful formula.
Names such as Antony Hegarty from Anthony and The Johnsons may no longer be part of the collaboration, but DJ-turned-singer Kim Ann Foxman remains a loyal choice, while Kele from Bloc Party, Venezuelan singer Aerea Negrot, and fan-turned-collaborator Shaun Wright ensure it's still a cross-genre, star-studded affair.
It's pop and plays on nostalgia, but the band give their sound more depth by using a relatively cutting edge sound in an old-school environment. For dance music loyalists, especially those fond of the 'dark' side, the emergence of outfits such as Delphic and Hercules and Love affair may be a scary prospect as it marks the return of the more poppy style that was undermined in the late 90s.
