Chapter and Verse – ‘Love & Error’

2019 was quite the year for Chapter and Verse. After they made their way around the UK supporting the likes of Emarosa, Poets of The Fall, and Press To Meco, as well as squeezing in their own headline shows and the release of sophomore EP ‘Glow’, we didn’t have long to wait before more new songs came our way – and, in September 2019, ‘Bad Blood’ kicked off a very new era indeed for the London five.

It’s fitting, then, that ‘Bad Blood’ opens third EP ‘Love & Error’, and the contrast with the gentler tones of ‘Glow’ opener ‘The Casket’ couldn’t be more stark. With a slick, upbeat intro, it’s plastered in pop influence without losing any of the bite they honed on tracks like ‘A Devil In Blue’; from Josh Carter’s unmistakable, soaring vocals to the pulsing beat of the chorus, this is the kind of song that is instantly impossible to forget, and perfectly sets the tone for what’s to come.

As the title suggests, there are a few tales of love to be found on the EP, and ‘Beauty Sleep’ offers an alternate spin on reminiscing about past romance – there’s a heartfelt positivity laced through the words and expansive, layered vocals, allowing a moment to look back without being held there (“you’re nothing but a story that I told”). It’s lyrical storytelling at its finest, tapping into universally recognisable emotions and experiences by taking listeners on a journey, before dropping them off at a sweeping pop epic in the form of third track ‘Always’. Tapping further into the melodies laid down before it, this third track is backed by a subtle but powerful bassline and crests in a euphoric wave of vocals – there are few who can build such stunning crescendos as Chapter and Verse, and it’s sheer bliss to find yourself lost in them.

The effervescent ‘Sweet Time’ quickly brings the tempo back up to speed, dabbling in vocal effects and beats unlike anything we’ve ever heard from this band before – it’d require Herculean strength of willpower to resist head bopping to this one (and quite frankly, there’s no reason you’d ever want to). ‘Where We’ve Been’ takes up the role of closing the EP and holds a quiet power that shines ever stronger with repeated listens, full of passion and soul that reverberates through strings, echoing vocals, and a guitar solo sent straight from rock heaven.

As an EP, ‘Love & Error’ doesn’t just build on what came before, nor are Chapter and Verse merely dipping their toes into fresh waters; these five songs represent a high dive into an ocean where pop and rock effortlessly combine, and the result is something altogether unmissable. Packed with variety and hooks that’ll stick with you for a lifetime, there’s a fire in this sound that could easily turn into an unstoppable inferno – change is coming for Chapter and Verse, and boy, does it look good on them.

GEM ROGERS