Hercules & Love Affair Omnion

Every Hercules and Love Affair album is a celebration – of dance music, of queer experience, of pleasure. ‘Omnion’ is no different. Its eleven tracks move between vibrant house, disco and new wave, its rotating cast of guests offering their own distinct quality to these throwback tracks. It’s familiar territory, delivered with vision and charisma. ‘Omnion’’s first five songs are among the strongest the project has recorded.

Sharon Van Etten’s melancholic performance on the title track is gorgeously paired with floating synths and a dramatic structure that builds with horns and warm bass. Faris Badwan of The Horrors takes the reigns on ‘Controller’, a slice of dance-pop indebted to Soft Cell.  It’s as stark and carnal as it is catchy. It’s not the only time the project flaunts its influences, with New Order and Prince shining through the electro-gospel jam ‘Rejoice’. The album loses some of its spark in its second half, when the formula is repeated too often. But even in these moments, it’s a classy, passionate homage to dance music history.