Errors - Have Some Faith In Magic (CD, Double vinyl LP)

Looks like Reverb Worship and Rock Action have something in common - they both have little to no interest in press releases, hence I'm short on background information to explain the recent transformation in the work of Scottish post-rockers Errors. These lads have always been a good band but something has happened. Maybe it's ambition, maybe it's an emerging sense of musical confidence and identity or perhaps it's just pure coincidence but on 'Have Some Faith In Magic' Errors seem to have really found their feet, exploring both progressive and pop avenues with an equal measure of vigour. They begin 'Have Some Faith In Magic' by proving that yes, they can do the Tortoise meets Mogwai instrumentals that will be serving them (and you) so well over the festival season. It's a good one too. Blazing prog leads included. They follow it with further proof of their majesty on 'Magna Encarta' (and later on the likes 'The Knock') but it's the curveball of 'Blank Media' and 'Pleasure Palaces' that really take me by surprise. These tracks are measured synth-pop with classic written all over 'em. They've obviously been listening to a lot of Washed Out/Small Black/Neon Indian and the rest of the new pop pretenders and they've been wise enough to follow the trail back to the source and rebuild the concepts to suit them. The result is something akin to Japan, Duran Duran, Jean Michel Jarre and Talk Talk but with that massive Tortoise influence (especially the later synth heavy records) still ever present. My thoughts on this are A) It's working and B) They're gonna go down real nice with the Animal Collective/Pitchfork crowd. It might be a slightly cynical move on their part but hey, who am I to judge. They've always been a hardworking band and I'd be pleased to see them making good ground in 2012.