TRAVIS

Ode to J. Smith

2008-12-02

For the eclectic ear and fans of the Brit Pop genre of music, Travis' latest release could be just what your ears have been craving. Led by singer and primary songwriter Fran Healy, the Scottish band from Glasgow, on this their sixth studio release of original songs, provides a set that captures the listeners attention throughout by keeping it fairly interesting. For instance, the first three pack quite a punch. "Chinese Blues" - the opener - a pop/rock and piano driven track is catchy and really quite good. This is followed by the title track, "J. Smith," - a song with a different sound that ends with a choir singing the final verse in Latin. The third, the short, sweet and grunge inspired "Something Anything" is surprisingly the first single off of the album - mostly because the previous tracks mentioned are stronger. Another song worth mentioning is the final one - "Before You Were Young." This is perhaps the most out-of-place song here, but maybe also the most beautiful as it accentuates Healy's depth and quality both lyrically and vocally. Aside from a few blunders such as the somber and vocally broken, "Broken Mirror," this collection of music from Travis is catchy and proves itself especially better with time. ~Reviewed by Jeff Bouma

Quick Links:

• Official Travis Website