A lot of the pre-release press babble for Hercules & Love Affair's fantastic self-titled debut talks it up in a way that is distinctly odd. Actually, flat-out wrong.
There's a lot of talk about ‘experimental disco’, weird electronic sounds and whatnot that totally obscures the fact that this album is best when it plays it totally straight. Or as straight as an album in an explicitly gay musical tradition, featuring Antony (of ...and the Johnsons fame) and transsexual Nomi as vocalists can be. All pop-crit talk of how these songs sound like avant-disco pioneer Arthur Russell are playing to an (imaginary?) gallery of discophobes in the hope of getting them to actually listen to this thing. But we won't play that game here. This record is as on disco and early house's dick as much as Britpop was on The Beatles' and The Kinks'. The clue's in the title: Hercules... are classicists enraptured by the sweaty mythos of ‘70s and ‘80s club tracks.
Not that this is a bad thing, in fact the opposite - there've been a lot of records in the past few years that have revived disco signifiers and I've loved a lot of them, but they've tended to pare away the songwriting and emotional excess, focusing instead on a post-techno idea of the endless beat. 'You Belong'’s cycling bassline and imposingly carnal command “you belong to him tonight” can work a dancefloor but also bring tears during the next day’s dazed early morning commute. 'Hercules Theme' sets the daftest oompah-disco beat sliding up against greasy “yeah yeah yeah”s, the whole thing covered in the flimsiest negligee of silky strings. 'Raise Me Up' is a gorgeous swirl of echoing Afro-trumpets and dub effects with Antony keening about the life dancing right out of him.
Not that this is a perfect album, as it's heavily front-loaded - buy this on vinyl and side one will be worn out before there's a crackle on side two - and the further it gets away from jacking bits of old Inner City and Jamie Principle 12"s the worse it is. Prime offender is the whimsical mope of 'Iris' -'sensitive' sounding but emotionally uncommitted bank-advertronica that is gossamer thin compared to the whump of the best tracks here.
Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the amazing hit single (well just: number 40) 'Blind'. That's how good this album is.
Not convinced
Listened to this a few times now and once you get past Anthony's stunning (as usual) vocals. You are left with a lp with very unadventurous music.
They have attempted to channel Giorgio Moroder like beats but have come up with something sounding sub-scissor sisters.
I think we're being hoodwinked by the vocals. why Tim Goldsworthy got invovled I'll never know.
5/10 for me.
reminds me of
george michael, which is not good
Well then surely
if the second half is considerably weaker, despite the strength of the first half it does not warrant a nine? It's flawed logic, but you're evidently bowled over by the stunning deluge of opening tracks.
Absolutely right
The score does not match the review at all.
I love this record, but you haven't made a very good argument.
are you serious about that score?
its an ok record but not out of this world. get a grip Mr Reviewer - 9 out of 10. 6 or 7 more like.
Totally
I reviewed this album, made similar points and gave it a 7. The first 5 songs are ridiculously good though.
Inner City and Jamie Principle
are AMAZING!
Your Love by Jamie Principle is still perfect for the dance floor and still far to underated. Oh yeah This album is good too.
This record is so obviously fucking horrible
I can only assume that in order to be hip you have to believe everything PF writes.
Color me DiSappointed!
..
whut?
SOTW: http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2993221
Phat pheature: http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/3033988
Our noses are well out that anus.
This record rips.
I guess I'm just one of those who peg HaLA
as a "faddishly camp disco revival act." Take away Antony's vocals and you're left with a Gorgio Moroder throwaway. And that's on the best song.
Let me quickly say: I love ye, Sam! You, Mike and Billy are my favorite writers here and I read all yer shit...and respect your opinions.
That said, by your own admission the rest of the album is "tame" compared to Blind... and today the album "rips". Tsk, tsk.
I perhaps don't hate it as much as I don't understand the accolades this album is garnering at the mo'. I'm not a huge dance/house man, so what do I know anyway. It just doesn't have the brilliance of, say, Silent Shout jump out for me.
..
Fair enough. The record seems pale at times beside certain peaks, but it's still a glorious slab of dark melodramatic disco.
I can't see much in the Moroder pegs being penned to it though. Seems like straight-up early 90s house revivalism to me. In that I can see why so many noses seem to have turned.
exactly
If this is a 9, then Silent Shout must be a 15 out of 10.
This is such a dull record, aside from a couple of excellent tracks.
actually...
..i've listened to the record a few more times and its not a good sign i now like it less than before I first heard it...scrub that 6 or 7 to a mediocre 5.
There
Are two great tracks on here and the rest wallows in mediocrity. If people want disco there's infinitely better out there. The reviews of this album are confusing.
this album
rules.
part of it, yeah
^
terrible review
as above