I may have to create a subsection on this blog titled 'Insufficient Props' for records that have come out this year only for me to bag them and then not bother to put anything on here saying what they're like. There are a few in the standby gate at the moment for various reasons; records that are undeniably bitchin' but have fallen foul of my busy drinking schedule over recent weeks (Jack White, Cannibal Corpse), new shit that I haven't had time to big up just yet (new Cribs, Beach House and Torche) and stuff that's so far been left in the 'not feeling it' drawer (Actress, Breton). Errors had a foot in that last category for a while but it's taken the sun to come out for me to acknowledge this album's positive qualities - it landed back in February to an altogether less suitable climate which may or may not have played a part in me not feeling it. In hindsight this was rather harsh - 'Have some faith in magic' is a killer slab of laidback electronica which is well worth a detour. My initial reaction upon hearing this for the first time was that it reminded me of that M83 double album from last year, a nice yet ultimately unfulfilling journey through mellow synthscapes which is perfect for hangover sessions mainly because of its lack of any discernable edge. However after a few spins its strengths become apparent - the cover art makes me think of fellow Jocktronica stalwarts Boards of Canada with the whole people-with-no-faces shtick but Errors are less of the ethereal 70s nature documentary vibe and more pulpy, early 80s alternative electro - these guys are fully committed to the electronica thing but you can hear live drums and guitars on most tracks here. I presume these dudes have a background in Scottish indie, their sound has a gentle quality to this LP that only quiet Jocks in indie groups seem to be able to fully master, the blissful chillout soundtrack to the aftermath of another evening of Glaswegian guitar mayhem. Twin six-minute blissfests 'Magna Encarta' and 'Pleasure Palaces' deserve their place on any current DJ playlist and the rest of the album augments them rather than just filling in the gaps - these guys keep their sound constant enough to remain cohesive instead of just chucking everything into the mix and by the end their style is defined clearly enough that someone could throw you a random cover version from their archive and you'd instantly know it was them playing. Indeed, these guys are probably better live than on record which acts as a pretty good compliment in the realms of knob-twiddling indie electronica - I've been playing New Order's 'Power Corruption & Lies' a lot recently and Errors mainline the same vibe of seasoned indie types having mastered electronic music, keeping the foundations of a guitar band but adding layers of high-end synthetic elements to give them a lush edge that was previously unattainable. I pick a new favourite track every time I play this album which is testament to its strength - 'Have some faith...' is a less immediate charm than some of the other electronic releases I've chronicled on here but merits equal attention for its subtle infiltrations that will win you over in the long term. Flip this into your Sunday session along with the recent euphoric gems from Lone and Bear in Heaven and you've got the makings of an epic journey through synthspace to take the edge off Saturday night's hedonism.
Check out : 'Magna Encarta', although pick any of the ten tracks here for a good starting point.
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