It’s time to come clean. I’m not a Travis fan, nor have I ever been a Travis fan. Like many non-Travis followers, pretty much the only track by them that I can name is their 1999 radio hit Why Does it Always Rain on Me? – sorry to those who are fans who’ve heard that line in countless reviews, but it’s the truth. As far as britpop of the last ten years goes, for me they don’t even come close to the top of the pile – however, when pitted against the likes of Radiohead, Blur and Belle and Sebastian, it’s an almost impossible feat.
Since that first album The Man Who (which was a moderate commercial success), Travis have had a string of not-so-successful releases. Their fifth album, The Boy With No Name, has a lot of work cut out for it in terms of retaining their old fans (and perhaps even gaining some new ones). Although the release keeps with the tradition of that recognisable Travis sound, there is something new here; something that managed to keep my interest for more than half a song. The lyrics are in the same vein as their previous albums, but it’s the instrumental components that really shine here. It’s still poppy, but the music has more staying power this time around.
The opening track 3 Times and You Lose (with its acoustic intro) is a nice surprise, and tracks like Selfish Jean bring to mind the sounds of Belle and Sebastian (but certainly not in a copycat sense). Other stand-out tracks include Big Chair and Eyes Wide Open. Unfortunately, The Boy With No Name peters off a little bit towards the end of the album (it may have been a wise choice to end it after 10 tracks instead of pushing for 12). That said, it is still an enjoyable record to listen to.
Travis haven’t made a big fan out of me yet, but they’re certainly one step closer. Perhaps by the time the next album comes out I’ll be begging for more.
disasterplan
said ages ago