I've never really understood reviews of dance albums by dance critics, and based on claims like "this is the most original American dance album in a long while," they won't be making more sense any time soon. I'm not exactly a DFA nut, but Hercules & Love Affair seems no more surprising or original than that Nike mix. Crafting songs out of an inclusive but not overly eclectic dance-floor mindset seems pretty status quo for the crew, and the fact that I zone out when the beat goes away makes me question how much more there is to it. But that doesn't mean the peaks aren't a lot of fun. I've never cared for Antony's blubbering in a ballad context, but over horns and Tim Goldsworthy Eno-disco his quivers don't have to hold the weight of the world. Unlike a lot of forum folk, I prefer the album version of "Blind" to the "Frankie Knuckles" and "Club" mixes, but then I'm a dilettante, a Remain In Light fan, and see above.