"gone forever"? (Erase Errata - Lost Weekend)

Erase Errata
Lost Weekend
why you'll love it:  America's premier "art-punk" act returns.
why you'll hate it:  shorter and slower than their most popular works.

Here's a simple tip to be happier in life: treat every little gift as precious.  Aside from one or two singles, the art-post-no-wave (what are music genres anymore than a series of dashes?) trio, Erase Errata, has been dead to the world since 2006.  The announcement of new material late last year was what I could only assume winning the lottery feels like.  Erase Errata is one of my favorite abrasive "out-there" acts; walking the line between jarring rebellious punk, and unpredictable convoluted art-rock.  Lost Weekend is one of those gifts that seemed too unobtainable to ever bother wishing for; which is why it being only 20 minutes long is less of a thorn in my side.

"History of Handclaps" brings Erase Eratta back to the world of the living with a familiar lack of fanfare or buildup.  The principal melody kicks in as if the band had never really stopped, and a near decade long absence was only a skip in the cd.  "Handclaps" both mocks and plays along with the addictive, yet frivolous & overexposed dance-punk genre.  An off-beat trumpet (an obscure signature of EE) worms its way into the song, and a comforting peace washes over me.  Despite this being one of the most rousing songs on Lost Weekend, you gotta treat every little gift as precious once in a while...

In its remaining 18 minutes, Lost Weekend builds off of some of the subtly most intriguing parts of 2006's Nightlife; dark and atmospheric songwriting.  Thanks to a more deliberate bass-heavy pace, "In Death I Suffer" and "Galveston, Dark Tides" are the highlights of this album.  A daring move, especially after a long absence where most of EE's remaining fan base is most likely eager to hear the aggressive calamity they're loved for.  Only once in their career has a song clocked in at over four minutes, in Lost Weekend's case, three songs around that mark make up more than half of the album's length.  It's a lot to ask of a fan, but something I appreciate.  The dark and creepy "Hotel Suicide" is my favorite cut off Nightlife, and it's a pleasant surprise to hear them evolve from that on their next effort.

Lost Weekend abruptly powers down a good 10 minutes too early.  The successful application of their slower songwriting technique gives confidence that they could finally cut a record that crosses the 30 minute mark, but alas we only get 20.  I enjoy every minute of its short stay though.  If this release happens to serve as a welcome mat to new listeners, that would be great too.  Erase Errata is one of punk's best kept secrets.  Just being able to say "is" instead of "was" in 2015 feels amazing.  I hope this isn't the last we hear from the trio.  Singer, Jenny Hoyston, insists the band never broke up, and perhaps never will.  Fingers crossed.