Blue Songs (album)

Last updated

Blue Songs
Hercules and Love Affair - Blue Songs.png
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 28, 2011 (2011-01-28)
Recorded
Genre
Length57:02
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.

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 68/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The A.V. Club B [4]
Drowned in Sound 7/10 [5]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Pitchfork 6.6/10 [8]
PopMatters 7/10 [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [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 Butler6:02
2."My House"
  • Butler
  • Roberto Gallegos
4:52
3."Answers Come in Dreams"
  • Butler
  • Gallegos
5:24
4."Leonora"Butler4:32
5."Boy Blue"Butler5:00
6."Blue Songs"Butler5:38
7."Falling"
  • Butler
  • Gallegos
4:54
8."I Can't Wait"
  • Butler
  • Kim Ann Foxman
5:55
9."Step Up"Butler4:04
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.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Revenge"
  • Butler
  • Foxman
4:44
13."Chanel 2"Butler6:12
14."Shelter" (The xx cover)
3:45
Total length:71:58
US edition disc two [13]
No.TitleWriter(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)Butler6:34
6."Painted Eyes" (Moonlight Matters Remix)Butler5:55
7."Painted Eyes" (Wolfram Remix)Butler6:16
Total length:48:06

Personnel

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

Hercules and Love Affair
Additional personnel

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

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

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