Errors: Have Some Faith In Magic - Album Review

Errors
Have Some Faith In Magic
Rating: Grrrr

Post-electro instrumental quartet Errors, from Glasgow, Scotland, have been amassing critical acclaim and bigger audiences over the years since forming in 2004. Their first two albums, It's Not Something But It Is Like Whatever and Come Down With Me, were full of spiky, hypnotic synth driven post rock that definitely earned them the title, the electronic Mogwai (in fact, the comparison is even more apt considering the band is on Mogwai's Rock Action label). Before Have Some Faith In Magic was released, there were rumors that this would be the Error's "vocal" album. While indeed the band have incorporated "vocals" into the mix, this is not like a Depeche Mode album, instead, the vocals, which are all but unintelligible, merely add another layer of texture and sound. It creates a more nuanced sound for the band and gives an indication of where the band is headed. Perhaps with more confidence, they will actually put together true lyrics and vocals for future albums. For now, however, we are left with this incarnation, and quite rightly, it is a good place for the band to be. Have Some Faith In Magic is perhaps their most cohesive and well-thought out record so far, and while there may not be the same sense of danger and wonder that their earlier albums provided, this new found focus definitely makes up for it.

The best tracks on Have Some Faith In Magic expertly straddle the line between the band's pop and experimental sides. "Magna Encarta"'s sparkly beginning morphing into a dense, bass-synth heavy excursion, with the chanted vocals featured more like a mantra than anything specific.



"Barton Spring" balances a dreamy quality with a harsh, chugging, almost industrial like beat.



Which leads into the glorious closer "Holus-Bolus," whose swirling synths and throbbing pulse climb and build expertly.



There is a thoughtfulness to the pacing and general flow of the record. Getting rid of their previous penchant for discordance and genre hopping, these tracks feel more like a proper album collection of songs than just a group of singles put together. ""Blank Media" is a dreamy, could-almost-be pop ballad, with gorgeous guitars wrapped around soaring rushes of synths.



I love the 80s new wave rush of driving beats and synthesizers on the highly danceable "Pleasure Palaces."



"Earthscore," which is probably the most eccentric track on the record, starts in a weird, tribal mode, with dense percussion and chanted vocals, but gradually flattens out into a gorgeous mix of arpeggiated synths, clipped vocal samples, then breaking down into an almost rock coda with squalling guitars.



There are only a couple of errant tracks that don't seem to work as well in the grand scheme of things. The mid-section one/two punch of "The Knock" and brief instrumental "Canon" threaten to derail things at first. "The Knock" meandering a little too far during its 6 minute run time, moving too erratically from low-fi synth bloops to an attempt to broaden the palate with a more structured middle section. By the time the song rightens itself, the momentum has already been lost a bit. Which is further continued by the short interstitial "Canon," whose almost Low-era Bowie-ism feels out of place.

These small hiccups only slightly mar this really solid album. Errors appear so focused this time around that only great things will proceed from here. For lovers of more adventurous, instrumental post-rock/electronica, Have Some Faith In Magic should definitely be on the top of your list to check out.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.