Finally some excitement in NYC! Hercules & Love Affair have been blowing up this year with their string of enticing singles, reviews and remixes... but are they the real deal? I'm not the first or last to say this, but yes, they are. This is their long awaited full length LP release, finally available domestically, clearly setting some yardage beyond the status quo of dance albums this year. The project is made possible with Antony Hegarty (from Antony and the Johnsons) and Kim Annn Foxman on vocals, Tim Goldsworthy helping with production, a small army of live musicians, and the talents of an amazing young writer, Andrew Butler. Needless to say, they are killing it. I know it's hard to stay away from labels like, "Disco Revival" whose roots run deep in the veins of this city, but the only word I can think of is "Fresh." Fresh as is fresh new sounds, in a time when 80's boogie and disco edits are around every corner. Not that I don't love the old stuff, I adore it, but I also love this too, and it's a sound rarely heard. Of course you'll hear comparisons to Arthur Russell, Inner City, Sylvester, Bohannan, etc(the list goes on), but when is it ever bad to be compared to timeless greats? For a lean walkthrough of the Hercules & Love Affair experience, check "You Belong(1)," "Athene(2)," "Blind(3)," "Easy(4)," "Raise Me Up(5)," and "True Flase/Fake Real(6)." This is future classics in the making. Also, the vinyl version comes with a free download card that you can use to get the MP3 version. Highly recommended.

reviewed by C'mish