Travis - The Boy With No Name (Independiente)
3/5
By: Matt Tomiak
What happens when a sophomore album might as well be your 'Best Of'? It's been a struggle for Travis ever since 1999's 'The Man Who' catapulted them into unlikely superstars; an endearing blend of subdued sincerity, delicate melodies and big choruses galore. Magazine covers, festival headline slots and one particular hit about persistent drizzle that just about everyone in the bleedin' country knew the words to- just how do you follow all that? The answer being, 'with difficulty.'
Too often in the post-'TMW' era, Travis got a bit sluggish - relying on sweeping, insipid generalisations when it was clear they were really at their when singer and chief lyricist Fran Healy immersed himself in introspection, wrestling with his own personal demons, yet fashioning something universal in the process.
Opener '3 Times And You Lose' provides food for thought. Is the title perhaps referring to the status of this album as a 'make or break' last strike - the third and final chance in a series of underwhelming LPs since their breakthrough? Lead-off single 'Closer' certainly felt a bit lightweight, a bit lukewarm, a bit Travis-by-numbers, but give it its due: 'The Boy With No Name' throws up a number of welcome surprises. 'Selfish Jean' fuses 'Lust For Life' drums and a Wedding Present jangle. Although it culminates as a typical sweeping ballad, 'Big Chair' starts off by employing elements of the taut, twangy post-punk rattle more beholden to contemporary acts like Bloc Party and The Rakes isn't as contrived or embarrassing as that sounds. The band throws us another curveball on 'Eyes Wide Open', a terse, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club-like growler.
And tucked away in the middle of the album is 'Battleships', comprising all the classic Travis elements, proving that the songwriting is a gift that Healy will never lose. It harks back to Byrdsian loveliness of the band's 2000 single 'Coming Around'- elegant strings, a fragile, gliding Healy vocal, and a subtly infectious chorus. A strong contender for the next single, certainly, but where once Healy could write that kind of tune in his sleep, such gems are in rather shorter supply these days- and indeed, on the rest of the album, as a thoroughly lacklustre second half sinks the remainder of 'The Boy With No Name.'
Listening to Travis now is a bit like watching a portly-but-eager Michael Owen attempt to make a footballing comeback. So much water having passed under the bridge since their late 90s pinnacle that they're struggling to stay relevant as younger pretenders nab their crown... but still with much to give and impossible to write off entirely.
Stream three tracks from 'The Boy With No Name' HERE.
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment