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.

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	Cooperative Music
United Kingdom^[23]	January 31, 2011	Moshi Moshi
Italy^[24]	February 8, 2011	Cooperative Music
Australia^[25]	February 18, 2011	Moshi Moshi
United States^[13]	August 16, 2011	Moshi Moshi

References

↑ NME
1 2 "Hercules And Love Affair – Hercules and Love Affair". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ Kellman, Andy. "Blue Songs – Hercules & Love Affair". AllMusic. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Hercules And Love Affair: Blue Songs". The A.V. Club. The Onion. February 22, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ Woolley, Hayden (January 27, 2011). "Hercules & Love Affair – Blue Songs". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ Macpherson, Alex (January 27, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songs – review". The Guardian. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ Edgell, Ben. "Hercules And Love Affair – Blue Songs". musicOMH. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ Wolk, Douglas (January 31, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songs". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ Kholeif, Omar (January 20, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songs". PopMatters. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ Hermes, Will (August 16, 2011). "Blue Songs". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ Henderson, Eric (January 30, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songs". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
1 2 Walters, Barry (August 16, 2011). "Hercules and Love Affair, 'Blue Songs' (Moshi Moshi)". Spin. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
1 2 3 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.
↑ Blue Songs (CD liner notes). Hercules and Love Affair. Moshi Moshi Records. 2011. MOSHICD38.
↑ "Hercules And Love Affair – Blue Songs" (in German). austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Hercules And Love Affair – Blue Songs" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Hercules & Love Affair, Blue Songs" (in German). charts.de. Media Control. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Hercules And Love Affair – Blue Songs". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Chart Log UK – Weekly Updates Sales 2011". The Zobbel Website. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Hercules & Love Affair – Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Blue Songs" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Blue songs – Hercules And Love Affair" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Hercules & Love Affair – Blue Songs". Moshi Moshi Records. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Hercules and Love Affair – Blue Songs" (in Italian). IBS. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
↑ "Blue Songs – Hercules and Love Affair". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.

Hercules and Love Affair

Andy Butler Whitney Fierce Kim Ann Foxman Mark Pistel Aerea Negrot Shaun Wright Nomi Ruiz Anohni Morgan Wiley Andrew Raposo Jason Disu Carter Yasutake Guy Licata

Studio albums	Hercules and Love Affair Blue Songs The Feast of the Broken Heart

Singles	"Blind" "You Belong" "My House" "Painted Eyes" "Falling" "Do You Feel the Same?" "I Try to Talk to You" "My Offense"

Related articles	DFA Records Jessica 6

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