Hercules & Love Affair's
Andy Butler has always had a flair for setting complex emotions to a four-four beat. Even so, he's never sounded quite as inspired as he does on
Omnion, a stunning mix of style and vulnerability that reflects his struggles with substance abuse in the wake of the project's early success. Indeed, the emotional realness and rawness that course through this album haven't been heard quite so clearly in
Hercules & Love Affair's music since the project's self-titled debut. Reflecting its all-encompassing title,
Butler approaches
Omnion's themes from many angles and expresses them with many voices. Aside from returning vocalists
Gustaph and
Rouge Mary, the album boasts a largely new cast of singers. Chief among them is
Sharon Van Etten, whose graceful performance on the title track, as she asks a higher power for help, introduces the intimacy that continues even after the album's tempos pick up.
Faris Badwan of
the Horrors and
Cat's Eyes contributes some of his finest vocals to two of
Omnion's highlights: he's seductive on "Controller," a slinky distillation of the allure of giving up responsibility, and pleading on "Through Your Atmosphere," which captures the reality of ever-changing relationships. Here and throughout the album,
Butler masterfully balances poignancy and urgency, and swagger and soul-baring, within
Omnion's introspective pop and kinetic house, techno, and disco.
Butler delivers potent reminders that the dancefloor can be a place of rescue and redemption as well as sweaty exhibitionism with "Running," which features
Sísý Ey and expresses the liberation of knowing when it's time to change in rousing and real ways, while "Rejoice" gives gospel disco a gritty update as it celebrates living -- and dancing -- in the moment. On the other side of the spectrum,
Butler saves one of the album's gentlest moments for himself: "I'm a fool when I drink/I'm glad that I didn't today," he sings over synths that sound like raindrops on "Fools Wear Crowns," a moment of sparkling catharsis echoed by "Epilogue," where a children's choir adds a mystical, sci-fi dimension to the album's journey. Richly layered and emotive even by
Hercules & Love Affair's standards,
Omnion is equally committed to moving hearts and bodies. ~ Heather Phares