On Blue Songs, the lineup of Andy Butler's Hercules Love Affair is filled out with stable member Kim Ann Foxman, Mark Pistel (Consolidated, Meat Beat Manifesto), Shaun J. Wright, and Aerea Negrot, while several others -- including co-producer Patrick Pulsinger and well-suited guest vocalist Kele Okereke -- also contribute. The album, as indicated by its title, is subdued compared to the group’s self-titled full-length from 2008. Even the busier, uptempo songs seem intended for home listening rather than club play; they’re relatively slender and tickle the ears rather than grab the whole body like “Blind.” This allows the group’s pop element, somewhat overlooked on the debut, to shine through a little more, best heard in the spongy, rippling “Leonora.” Some listeners might be so thrown that they’ll have to take a considerable portion of the album, including the partially acoustic, wholly atmospheric ballad “Boy Blue,” as the work of a completely different group. While it might not pack the punch of the debut and ends on a bum note (where Sterling Void's 1989 house classic “It’s Alright” is recast as a placid ballad), Blue Songs is an excellent album in its own right. It's filled with memorable, exceptionally played and produced electronic pop songs that are off-center yet targeted squarely at the heart. [The U.S. version adds three bonus tracks, including a cover of the xx's "Shelter," as well as a second disc of remixes.] ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi

1		Painted Eyes
2		My House
3		Answers Come in Dreams
4		Leonora
5		Boy Blue
6		Blue Songs
7		Falling
8		I Can't Wait
9		Step Up
10		Visitor
11		It's Alright

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