John Errol's Damage: A Study in Dissonant Pop
Los Angeles songwriter John Errol blends harrowing personal narratives with unconventional, lo-fi production techniques.
1Eclectic Sonic Influences
John Errol’s second album, Damage, opens with a direct reference to Nine Inch Nails, setting a tone of deliberate distortion. The record weaves together disparate influences, from the slowcore ballads of Ethel Cain to the perishing melodies of Thom Yorke. This creates a complex, often jarring soundscape that defies simple genre categorization.
2Lo-Fi Aesthetic Choices
Errol intentionally processes his tracks through an FM radio processor, giving the music a broken, lo-fi quality. Despite his ability to craft conventional pop hooks, he consistently subverts expectations. By layering distortion and challenging lyrical content, he ensures that his music remains elusive, resisting the polished standards of his primary inspirations.
3Navigating Heavy Subject Matter
The album tackles intense themes, including suicide attempts and intrafamilial sexual abuse, with a tone that borders on the uncomfortable. Errol employs a tonal tightrope, using familiar dramatic forms to frame harrowing personal stories. This approach mirrors the work of artists like Todd Haynes, transforming painful experiences into a form of camp.
4Dissonance as Narrative Tool
Damage excels when it uses musical dissonance to explore the narrator’s own complex behaviors. In the title track, Errol vows revenge against a manipulative ex-partner, repeating phrases until the song concludes with a hard rock jam. This technique highlights the narrator’s unreliability, leaving the listener questioning the true nature of the conflict.
5Unconventional Songwriting Gambits
While tracks like 'Float' and 'Allison' demonstrate that Errol’s songwriting is strong enough to stand without conceptual gimmicks, he prefers riskier paths. He draws inspiration from the earnest, bizarre post-grunge era of the 2000s. By taking these sonic risks, he elevates textures that are often dismissed as embarrassing into something deeply compelling.
6The Complexity of Trauma
The song 'What’s needed of me' stands out as a three-minute symphony detailing sexual trauma across different ages. The track evolves from Midwest emo guitar arpeggios into an overblown nu-metal finale. This structural shift mirrors the narrator’s internal struggle, effectively capturing a sense of self-annihilation through both music and stark, bitter lyrics.
7Irony Amidst Bleakness
Even within the album's darkest moments, Errol incorporates gallows humor to navigate his pain. He utilizes wordplay, such as the 'Sadim touch'—a reversal of the Midas myth—to provide a layer of ironic detachment. These small, biting details prevent the record from becoming purely oppressive, adding a necessary layer of intellectual distance.
8A Unique Artistic Statement
Damage succeeds by refusing to take its own clichés at face value, instead using them to convey profound desperation. By blending industrial-rock worship with deeply personal, often uncomfortable storytelling, Errol has created a work that stands apart from his peers. It is a bold, singular record that demands active, attentive listening throughout.
Original article: Pitchfork – Reviews — John Errol's Damage: A Study in Dissonant Pop