Travis Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Considering that Travis has spent the years since 1999's The Man Who settling into a quiet, unperturbed groove, it comes as a bit of a relief to hear Travis open Ode to J. Smith with a rush of guitars on "Chinese Blues." For some bands, this surge of six strings may seem reserved but for Travis it's positively rude, a welcome attempt to reconnect to their Brit-pop roots, when they were seen as heirs to Oasis' lad-friendly rock. As it turns out, Travis spent more time floating in Radiohead's wake -- with their innate politeness at times turning them into Coldplay's cousins -- and they don't escape that spacy, tasteful vibe on Ode to J. Smith, spending as much time ruminating as rocking. Nevertheless, the uptick in guitars gives Travis some definition -- more along the lines of extra texture than muscle -- and this gives the album some added color, especially when compared to its gentle, sepia-toned predecessor The Boy with No Name, which was otherwise appealing. Ode isn't quite as strong song-wise as The Boy but it makes up for the difference with its deepened palette -- again, this palette may not be as rich as some of their peers, but compared to Travis' other work of the past decade, this is richer and livelier as sheer sonics go. Now if they could find a way to marry this feel to the songcraft of The Boy with No Name, they'd wind up with an album that fulfilled the promise of both Good Feeling and The Man Who. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'The Boy with No Name'
Release Date 5/7/2007
Tracks 12
Label Independiente
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What The Critics Say
Early in their career, Travis sounded like Oasis crossed with U2, and as the years rolled steadily on, they gradually replaced Oasis with Radiohead, without ditching that devotion U2. Travis may have cut out any of their overt rock influences, yet they retained the everyday, boys-next-door image that was so common in all the post-Britpop guitar bands, and that humility served them well on their 1999 sophomore effort, The Man Who, a commercial breakthrough that also established the soft, shimmering sound that was their signature. Unfortunately for them, not long after that album, they were eclipsed by Coldplay, another Radiohead-U2 fusion that managed to keep some sense of majesty to their music, something that Travis, sensible lads that they are, seemed to studiously avoid. In the wake of that simultaneous success and eclipse, the group survived some professional and personal struggles, taking four years to record their fifth album, 2007's The Boy with No Name. Far from being a long-gestating leap forward, The Boy with No Name offers a comfortable, familiar Travis, but there is a slight, subtle difference: the band has truly embraced their modesty, settling into their gentleness. There's a mild, untroubling weariness to their performances here that suits them quite well; it deepens the music, makes their deliberate tempos resonate, it makes the quietness feel contemplative, it even makes the cleanliness of the production feel right, a reflection of their maturity. If the melodies don't really dig in, they nevertheless float sweetly, meshing into the overall fabric and feel of the album. If the music never quite soars, it never seems as if the band is struggling in vain to achieve take-off, either. For the first time since The Man Who, Travis doesn't seem to strive to achieve something, they just exist, and their music is better for it. They're still ordinary, almost painfully so, but they don't seem pedestrian, they seem to have weathered some ups and downs, channeling that experience into an album that has a slight, yet palpable, emotional resonance that their predecessors often lacked. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As much heat as the group received for The Invisible Band not matching the charm of The Man Who, Travis is still a good pop band. To imagine a world without them and their lovely and amusing songs would be a sad thing. In fact, their fourth album, 12 Memories, might never have been if drummer Neil Primrose hadn't survived a tragic dive while vacationing in France in summer 2002. Primrose sustained a spinal injury in a pool accident; thankfully the odds of a recovery were good, and Primrose went through surgery without any complications. 12 Memories is a dark reflection of that time, not to mention a heavy soundscape looking at violence as a whole that stems from a post-September 11th way of life. 12 Memories is their most mature, most explicit, and most somber album, and fans looking for Travis to resort back to the blazing riffs of "All I Wanna Do Is Rock" obviously didn't come of age with the band as they should have. The world's a fragile place, and Healy wants to talk about it. He's on his soapbox and instead of pointing a finger in disgust, he and Travis craft beautiful melodies that do just as much damage. From slagging off a media-obsessed America and its political regime on the jaunty, new wave-tinged "The Beautiful Occupation" to the soft piano-pounce of "How Many Hearts," 12 Memories flows without any preconceptions of what Travis released previously. They really don't care. What they care about is love and spreading it through song. Healy's look back at his mum's spousal abuse on "Re-Offender" finds Travis maintaining a sweet, basic rock sound and hitting you hard in the face. If you're able to appreciate the pleasure and point they bring as a whole, 12 Memories will be a fine listen. If you're hoping they took the Coldplay route, you're in the wrong place. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
'The Invisible Band'
Release Date 6/11/2001
Tracks 12
Label Independiente
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After the momentous success achieved with their sophomore effort (The Man Who), Travis' return to melodic rock & roll with The Invisible Band is once again personal and earnest. Having spent most of 2000 supporting Oasis and playing their own headlining gigs in the States, Travis remained humble while collecting a dozen solid tracks for another album, most of them plucked from Fran Healy's own humming and tinkering around with an acoustic. The Invisible Band finds Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck, Neil Finn) mixing and mastering again, and vulnerability found within these songs is what makes Travis a decent band. They are not afraid to be catchy and they're certainly suckers for a sweet love tune. But Travis is conscious of the unconscious and reflects any kind of lyrical emotion. Debut single "Sing" is charming while addressing inhibitions within a relationship. The banjo is a nice touch, for it becomes a mainstay throughout and adds a slightly different touch versus the simplicities of an acoustic. "Side" and "Flowers in the Window" are instantly endearing with their Beatlesque hooks, but "The Humpty Dumpty Love Song" is Travis' finest moment of musical clarity with Healy's heart on his sleeve. Written while on tour with Oasis, "The Humpty Dumpty Love Song" reflects a hero's fading fervor of love lost -- "All the kings horses and all the kings men/Couldn't pull my heart back together again/All the physicians and mathematicians too/Failed to stop my heart from breaking in two." Indeed, Travis is the basic man's poets and The Invisible Band plays toward the simplicities of humility. They've done it again, but with more internal charisma. The Man Who took them from indie angst to melodic humdrum. The Invisible Band perfects the ever-changing growth within the band for something great. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
'The Man Who'
Release Date 3/28/2000
Tracks 10
Label Sony International
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What The Critics Say
After their successful debut album of murky pop, Travis seemingly felt a need to tinker with the formula. The product of this change is The Man Who, a quiet album filled to the brim with atmospheric and introspective ballads. Acoustic guitars and tranquil melodies rule here, as this release is an entirely different affair than the band's revved-up debut. Fortunately for Travis, this disc became a massive U.K. hit, spawning no less than five hugely successful singles. The album highlight is "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?," a sweeping singalong that took England by storm and became one of the biggest hits of 1999. ~ Jason Damas, All Music Guide
'Good Feeling'
Release Date 10/7/1997
Tracks 12
Label Epic/Indepentente
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Like most post-Oasis bands, Travis are determined to be a classic band, which means they are decidedly classicist in their approach. Travis have the traditional Britpop influences -- Beatles, Kinks, Small Faces, etc. -- which are filtered through such '90s peers as the Stone Roses, Manic Street Preachers, and, of course, Oasis. Fortunately, they aren't tied to the '60s, like Cast or Ocean Colour Scene; they try to revitalize the traditions with harder backbeats and louder guitars, and Fran Healy's voice often strains at the edge of screaming. That approach can keep their conventional aspects entertaining, but what makes Good Feeling a successful debut is that Healy can write hooks, whether it's the anthemic "All I Want to Do Is Rock" or the stompy "U16 Girls." There are several slow spots on Good Feeling that illustrate how the group's sound has its limits, but it's a promising debut that establishes Travis as one of the better British trad rock groups. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
