Now I don’t dislike pitchfork… But god don’t their reviews half go ruddy on. In the time it takes me to read the latest 1,000 word essay on the 50 Cent album I could have flown to the Channel Islands and back – probably. There’s nothing wrong with a couple of well armed adjectives which tell you specifically what you need to know… And maybe a couple of clichés.
The massive cliché about Errors is that they are Mogwai, version 2.0 – like the original British-post mawkers have been reborn as young keyboard adept lads who know a thing or two about dance music. I mean, this isn’t really dance music, I can’t see how any of It’s Not Something But It Is Like Whatever would work on a dancefloor outside of Clwb Ifor Bach or Ten Feet Tall, but it’s certainly dance music informed. The glitch-rhythum running through Salut France gives a massive nod to electro, and ‘Pump’ reads like an 80s electronic epileptic fit, creaking through a ZX Spectrum and an Amiga. But there’s as much here in common with the poppier end of math-rock – ‘Toes’ is almost Foals esque, without the repetitive and irritating stupid vocals – and its not all constantly boppy. There are many serene and quiet moments – although these often build into wall attacking mounds of out of kilter jerking. My favourite Oxbridge Garageband user George Pringle (bout time I wrote about her init) also contributes vocals on Crystal Maze, providing a post-party introspective interlude to the albums insecure hedonism.
However it can’t be avoided that their bosses at Mogwai/Rock Action HQ also have a massive foot in the door. The sound the Scottish Band have perfected since 2001’s Rock Action – which has built on Slint’s formula of cinematics and turned it into something more sharp and to the point, achieving the same effect in half the time but without losing its atmosphere building qualities – is certainly the inspiration behind much of Errors’ guitar work. It’s not that they have ripped them off – infact its brilliant to see a band take Mogwai’s sound and not hopelessly ape them for a change. Errors have actually moved Mogwai and the genre on, possibly to the point where Errors are completly un-genre pigeonholeable. The band criss-crosses math-rock, post-rock and any itchy form of electronic music you care to mention – giving plenty to unwrap and unfold on repeated listens. Its not just something, but it is like whatever, init?
Errors are playing Clwb Ifor Bach again on Saturday June 28. Said album is in Diverse and Spillers nowwww.
