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Hercules And Love Affair Image
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 31 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 106 Ratings

  • Summary: The debut album for the electronic group from New York.

Top Track

Blind
As a child, I knew That the stars could only get brighter And we would get closer Get closer, mmm As a child, I knew That the stars could only get... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 31
  2. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. It's the big numbers, when Hegarty steps up to the microphone, that reveal Hercules And Love Affair as a project that captures not only the full range of moods on a night out on the tiles, but also the full range of human emotions from the start of a night to its end.
  2. Lush, melancholic, gregarious, generous, both precise and a little bit unhinged--this is the most original American dance album in a long while.
  3. Hercules & Love Affair is a testament to the great foresight and control is required in a disco producer to keep the track from lunging into an abyss of low-blow kitsch, and to be able to stimulate the ears and feet at the same time.
  4. The Wire
    80
    Rarely has an album exemplified the 'body and soul' paid so much lip service in House music so willingly. [Apr 2008, p.58]
  5. The party holds strong into the second half, where the comedown always muddles the songwriting a little. Surprise: Antony's dramatic ululations return to rescue the trawling sonics.
  6. Hercules And Love Affair may be a party, it may be a disco, but it sure ain't no foolin' around.
  7. While it lasts, Hercules and Love Affair sound as original and exotic as their backgrounds.

See all 31 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 44
  2. Negative: 5 out of 44
  1. CH
    Feb 15, 2009
    10
    What a great album. I love the transition about half-way through from technical disco ("You Belong", "Time Will") to something that's What a great album. I love the transition about half-way through from technical disco ("You Belong", "Time Will") to something that's hard to describe...a slow, electrosynth version ("Iris" and "Easy") The layers of Hegarty's voice is amazing in this, and Cruz stands up fairly strong as well when being juxtaposed with a voice as unique as Hegarty's. Butler deserves all the credit in the world with the production on this, especially in "You Belong" and "Easy", which are highlights imo. Great album. My only complaint is that it gets progressively weaker after "Easy" imo. Expand
  2. FabioM.
    Mar 21, 2008
    10
    Best album of the year, fantastic!
  3. May 28, 2011
    9
    I dont understand the mixed user reviews here. There is more depth and creativity in this album than most chart artist struggle to put out inI dont understand the mixed user reviews here. There is more depth and creativity in this album than most chart artist struggle to put out in a whole career. Expand
  4. FrankW.
    Mar 19, 2008
    8
    Great Album, very well made easy listening electronical music. But to me the only really ingenious song seems to be "You Belong" with the Great Album, very well made easy listening electronical music. But to me the only really ingenious song seems to be "You Belong" with the funkiest electronic baseline since daft punk's "Around The World" (in the chorus) Expand
  5. StephenL.
    Jun 25, 2008
    8
    I am not the biggest fan of electronic dance music but I still find this album to be hard not to stop listening to with tracks like "hercules I am not the biggest fan of electronic dance music but I still find this album to be hard not to stop listening to with tracks like "hercules theme" and "iris". Expand
  6. KR.
    Jun 24, 2008
    6
    Sounds catchy and his voice is beautiful but this is awfully ghey stuff.
  7. MitchellM.
    Mar 29, 2008
    0
    PITCHFORK GAVE IT A 9.1! IT MUST BE GOOD.

See all 44 User Reviews