2/5 stars
Lease Of Life is Glaswegian electro outfit Errors’ fifth album in, impressively, the last seven years. Before recording Lease Of Life, they toured with fellow Scots, Chrvches. Somewhere between Chrvches and Mogwai (who signed Errors to their label, Rock Action Records) is a pretty good description of where you’ll find this band.
On one hand, there’s the laidback synth bipping and bopping along to calm, ocean-going vocals. On the other hand, all these tracks are cut from the post-electro cloth, with long running times (nine tracks over 52 minutes) overlaid with stretching, velvety soft and subtle electronica (prime example: ‘Dull Care’). Other influences from the dust of electronica can be heard too, with ‘New Winged Fire’ sharing the same jingly Scandinavian palette as The Knife, and the back end of the title track running parallel to the work of Depeche Mode.
However, rather like Homer when he tries to build the pool and ends up constructing a barn instead, there’s just something about Errors that feels misguided, if well-intentioned. None of these tracks ever really come out and kick you, and as a result the influences apparent in this album come off as lazy subsumption.
The fact that this then-four-album band was supporting Chrvches on their debut tour says a lot.
Lease Of Life is out now through Rock Action.
