Hercules and Love Affair: Perhaps Antony Hegarty pops into mind when you see these four words? His dreamy, tender voice weaves in and out of your stream of consciousness?

Please resist.

For Hercules & Love Affair does not rely on Hegarty’s status to produce an extremely enjoyable album. Pleasingly, Hegarty is not the focal point of this album; but the unashamedly 70’s disco throwback that this album thrives on, is.

Tracks such as ‘Iris’, ‘Hercules’ Theme’ and lead single ‘Blind’ are not only refreshing, but feel like guilty pleasures. It is a glorious mix of Bee Gees, Chic and LCD Soundsystem – interesting seeing as, like LCD, H&LA are also signed to DFA records.

However, that’s not to say the album is completely disco. Indeed, album opener ‘Free Will’ and ‘Easy’ see Hegarty take the vocals and with his vocals come a darker and 80’s gothic style of music.

Yet, all the songs seem to fit and though two or three of them may not stand out; as an album 'Hercules and Love Affair' becomes nostalgic and exciting.

Laid back, funky and strut-able. Isn’t that what attracted us to disco in the first place?

Review by Joe Amos
www.herculesandloveaffair.com / www.dfarecords.com