There was once a belief that, at some point in the future, there’ll be no songs left to write. Both sceptics and theorists believed that, at some point around the end of the 20th century (for it was the sceptics and theorists of the 1970s that believed this), we’ll simply run out of new songs. This is a somewhat bizarre idea, considering that despite there only being a limited number of chords, and, thusly, a limited number of chord sequence combinations available, music and music composition has been with us for hundreds of years – and has shown no signs of ceasing to evolve. Which brings us on to Errors. Back in the 1970s, Kraftwerk – maybe aware that music was coming to an imminent, creative terminus, began using recently-invented sythensisers and computers to write and make music. It was a turning point for music – and here we are, 30-odd years down the line, and Errors are doing the same thing – and continuing to break ground.
Have Some Faith In Magic, their third long-player, is a melting pot of ideas, developments and experimentation that actually comes off sounding more measured, more accomplished – and ultimately much more listenable – than either of their previous efforts. It’s found that mid-way point between indulgent perfectionism and euphoric-pop sensibilities. Repetitive synth and guitar lines, echoed, minimal vocals and computer-generated trickery in abundance, it’s a neon sign that points to bright, future places for music. That’s not to say it’s without its musical lynchpins from the not-too-distant past. After the bad 1980s film theme-aping (honestly, that’s not actually a bad thing) of opener “Tusk”, “Blank Media” is the stuff of New Romantics gone cyber-synth with chillwave-levels of reflectiveness. There’s “Cloud Wave”, which echoes Metronomy but with added guitars and moody Ninetendo-style bleeps and chugs. And then there’s “Magna Encarta”’s debt to Mogwai. Ah yes, Mogwai. Errors’ label bosses and fellow furrowers of forward-looking musical experimentation, their influence is actually all over Have Some Faith In Magic; Errors, however, have taken the blueprint laid out over the last 15 years by Mogwai, moulded it, played around with it, and finally melted it down it something more delicate, more lush, more – dare we say – tuneful.
And that’s what makes Have Some Faith In Magic a winner. Yes, there’s experimentation, yes, it takes some listening to, but once those melodies start making sense in your head, boy does this album become one to stick with. It does have its weak points – “Pleasure Palaces”’ heavy synth-encrusted dance beat undoes the groundwork of opening trio “Tusk”, “Magna Encarta” and “Blank Media” slightly – but overall, Errors have created a suite of beautiful soundscapes that shows they’ve upped their game from their previous work. So – no songs left to write? Well, it’s taken three albums for Errors to perfect their sound. Have Some Faith In Magic hints that there’s much more exciting stuff to come, from not only the progression of music, but from Errors.