Blue Songs (album)

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.

Blue Songs
Studio album by Hercules and Love Affair
Released	January 28, 2011
Recorded	2009–10; Feedback Studio (Vienna) Lofish Studio, Midnight Sun (New York City) Room 5 Recording (San Francisco) E Studios (Berlin)
Genre	Nu-disco house
Length	57:02
Label	Moshi Moshi
Producer	Andrew Butler Mark Pistel Patrick Pulsinger
Hercules and Love Affair chronology
Hercules and Love Affair (2008) Blue Songs (2011) The Feast of the Broken Heart (2014)
Singles from Blue Songs
"My House" Released: December 13, 2010 "Painted Eyes" Released: April 18, 2011

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.	Title	Writer(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

US edition disc one – bonus tracks[13]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Revenge"	Butler Foxman	4:44
13.	"Chanel 2"	Butler	6:12
14.	"Shelter" (The xx cover)	Romy Madley Croft Oliver Sim Jamie Smith	3:45
Total length:			71:58

US edition disc two[13]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"My House" (Stopmakingme Remix)	Butler Gallegos	6:22
2.	"My House" (Tensnake Remix)	Butler Gallegos	8:03
3.	"My House" (Derrick Carter's BHQ Voodoo Remix)	Butler Gallegos	9:07
4.	"My House" (Andy Butler Remix)	Butler Gallegos	5:49
5.	"Painted Eyes" (In Flagranti Remix)	Butler	6:34
6.	"Painted Eyes" (Moonlight Matters Remix)	Butler	5:55
7.	"Painted Eyes" (Wolfram Remix)	Butler	6:16
Total length:			48:06

Personnel

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

Hercules and Love Affair

• Andrew Butler – production
• Kim Ann Foxman – performer, musician
• Aérea Negrot – performer, musician
• Mark Pistel – additional production, co-production, mixing (track 8); performer, musician
• Shaun J. Wright – performer, musician

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. "Hercules And Love Affair – Hercules and Love Affair". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. 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. Walters, Barry (August 16, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair, 'Blue Songs' (Moshi Moshi)". Spin. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
13. 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.CS1 maint: others (link)
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. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. 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.