On today's mix...
Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair (2008)

So my roommate recently heard this being played at Prada, and "Blind" is the free single of the week on iTunes--currently rocking an unprecedented 1.5/5 user rating (based on 2,500 votes)--so I decided now might be time to give Hercules and Love Affair a closer listen.

I'm, of course, flabbergasted by the iTunes user response to "Blind". With Antony Hegarty's incomparable voice, those horns, and its thrilling payoff, it will almost certainly go down as the best dance track of 2008. It's seriously spectacular. That being said, I read that it was recorded earlier than the rest of the album and used as a selling point to get this album off the ground, and hearing the rest of Hercules and Love Affair now, it shows. Nearly every other track on Hercules and Love Affair seems to be building off of "Blind"'s many elements; unfortunately, it's always to lesser effect.

The album opens smartly, placing Hegarty's voice front and center as he growls, "Don't lie to me!" on "Time Will". Despite being stuffed with good ideas, though, it never really gets past its convoluted melody. "Hercules Theme", meanwhile, piles on the horns and violins, but the whole affair lacks tension. By about midway, the album's Miles-Davis-meets-90's-house shtick starts to get a little monotonous. Fortunately, they then hit you with the comparatively epic "Blind", a track which makes you wonder if the other tracks might have been improved simply by elongating them and giving them more room to work their stuff.

The album's second half marks a welcome slowing down of pace for the album. "Iris" and "Easy", which follow, are easily the album's most effective non-"Blind" moments, proving that a calmer, more focused approach can also yield greatness.

But the remainder of the album is throwaway material. "Raise Me Up" puts Hegarty on the main mic again, promising another "Blind" but not really delivering. And closer "True False/Fake Real" is a fun exercise in layering with a few nice surprises, but it doesn't add up to much.

It's all pretty delightful, regardless, but it's definitely disappointing that none of the other tracks stand strong next to the album's lead single. I wanted to hear these track build a little more. Hercules and Love Affair is a sporadically great but unfocused debut.

7/10