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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Travis' Best One Yet, 9 Jan 2009
I actually got this for my sister as a Christmas present - oh how I regret that! I borrowed it and I was blown away by it. I wasn't expecting anything too special, I just thought it would be more of the same from Travis. I was wrong. Electric guitars and edgieness are in, and hell do they benefit from it. Think of it as a much more mature Good Feeling (their debut album). Problem with their debut was - as good as it was - you knew Oasis did that sort of anthemic rockers better. No Oasis influence here - it's just all Travis here.
In a year in which everyone went on about Elbow, Coldplay, Oasis, Duffy, Adele etc, this is quite easily the album of 2008. Just a shame nobody cares about the real music like this. But what do the music buyers know? This is a truly great hidden gem.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rather different from the last one, 8 Oct 2008
This album has been given 4 stars mainly because I do not find it as "instant" as their last album The Boy With No Name, which in my opinion is their best to date. This album starts with the oriental sounding guitars on Chinese Blues. The track J. Smith I find a little hard to get into at the moment, but I am sure will grow to like it in time. The album really starts to pick up with the very catchy Last Words, which is followed by the very melodic Quite Free. One of my favourite tracks is saved until the end with Before You Were Young, with that lovely piano thrown in for good measure. I would class this album alongside the grittyness of their debut Good Feeling and the darker sound of their 2003 album 12 memories. I suppose I am a bit biased as I saw them on their forest tour to promote the wonderful The Boy With No Name album in 2007. I am sure (as with 12 Memories) that this album is a grower which I will grow to love.
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10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It would be a Travis-ty if you didn't love this long-awaited album., 29 Sep 2008
I shall begin with a summary of each song.
Chinese Blues is very catchy and sounds very commercial and upbeat and would be great on the radio but this vibe masks a more profound set of lyrics. This track is very similar in these characteristics to their previous hit single Side.
J. Smith is, according to Travis, just a randomly made up name, one of the most common out there, just to devise a name for a character. As someone who studied Latin and still can decipher it to this day, I find the addition of this language in the second verse highly amusing, especially the line which translates roughly as "coal in your arse for eternity." Naughty Mr Healy!! Another big point of interest is the choir. Brilliant, unique track which is also catchy and would sound great on the radio.
Something Anything is another catchy, very listenable track with lyrics which speak to me and have meaning for me, and would widely appeal. The chorus in particular is very anthemic and I can easily picture crowds singing along to this at one of their shows (please tour soon, lads!)
Long Way Down carries on the catchy, upbeat feel to this album and is also easy to sing along to.
Broken Mirror is a short track with haunting and effecting lyrics, and it breaks away from the until now constantly punchy and happy sound of the album. Healy's voice sends shivers down my spine.
Last Words returns to the catchy and upbeat theme, well moderately so. There is a lot of lyrical repetition in this track and it's a slightly weaker track for me but it's a song which would still appeal to fans as it's easy to remember and sing along to.
Quite Free is very cool and upbeat sounding, and reminds me of summer and makes me think of festivals. Like Chinese Blues, this disguises a more deep set of lyrics and an overall theme.
Get Up is a very acoustic sounding track and very cool. It sounds slightly like a jam and a little raw but in a very good way. Quite probably the most catchy song on the album, this is a fun addition to the mix.
Friends is a really sweet and heartfelt track and one which everyone can relate to so a sure-fire hit and for this reason, I am sure it will be released as a single and will get a lot of praise and airplay, which it of course deserves.
Song To Self is another obvious single choice; classic Travis. Great instrumentals and brilliant lyrics with feeling behind both their conception and their performance.
Before You Were Young closes the album on a positive note and I love the addition of the piano. It's a beautiful little reflective song which moved me.
Overall, I can say this album is certainly worth the wait and is Travis at their best. I prefer this album to 12 Memories, and it's up there with The Man Who and The Invisible Band. A future classic, and classic Travis.
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