Hercules And Love Affair have a new single, “Painted Eyes”, coming out on April 18th, and for their b-side they have decided it’s their turn to take on a reworking of the minimalism of The XX. Many have tried, many have failed, and a few have had minor successes.
For their stab at it, HALA have plumped for “Shelter”, one of the top picks from the Londoners’ debut album. They have maintained much of the minimalist ethos from the original, but transplanted it to a different genre and have crafted a fairly sleek dancefloor track, married with soulful vocals from singer Kim Ann Foxman.
As far as cover versions go, it’s definitely no failure. The reason The XX have been so popular amongst remixers and artists looking for a good opportunity for a cover, is because much of the The XX’s album would have been dancefloor-friendly if it just had a little extra. Conversely, that’s why The XX album worked so well. And that’s why this cover works, they haven’t added too much, they’ve just straightened the beat, fattened it up, and maintained the melody. Job well done.
Connect with Hercules and the Love Affair: Myspace | Facebook | Twitter | Website
