boy_in_the_wellDiario → My reviews of Travis' albums
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Feb 15 2012, 21:31
12 Memories
I think this album by Travis is their closest to perfection. There are songs different than the ones on earlier albums, the ambient of album is more dark and lyrics deal with more serious themes. Good songs are:
"Re-Offender[/album]" - reminds me of early Radiohead, it has awsome guitar riff at the begining, playing with vocals in the verse and in chorus - wonderfull contrast
"[track artist=Travis]The Beautiful Occupation" - a little weaker than previously mentioned one, the instrumental reminds me a little bit of Interpol, and song has a dose of trip-hop as well as some other tracks on albums have, plus great guitar work after the middle.
"Mid-Life Krysis" - dark lyrics and melody and one of the best choruses by Travis. I also like the sound of harmonica in the background.
"Love Will Come Through" - this one doesn't have any instrumentation especially distinctive, but lyrics and singing and alltogether makes this one really catchy song. It's also "classic Travis", meaning that it sounds like it could be from one of the previous two albums.
"Quicksand" - may be the best song on this album, together with "Re-Offender". "Quicksand" is really great way to start an album and to get an inmidiate insight of the album's sound which is actually quite different sound, more playful and more rock than on previous album. And that is truly great - that the band took that step despite the risk of losing part of fans.
An album ends with a trip-hop-like "Walking Down the Hill" containing a hidden acoustic piano and vocals-only "Some sad song" which sounds pretty sad indeed.
The Invisible Band
It's interesting now to think that "Sing" was for a long time of not being obsessed with Travis (like I am now) their best song, and alongside with "Why does it always rain on me?" from The Man Who, those two songs I always could listen and sing-along.
"Sing" is the first song on this album and it's band's trademark song to date, I think. But it's very unfair to dismiss a band as a one hit wonder. I don't know why but it took me a long time to move from just one album (The Boy With No Name) to another (12 Memories), and this album was the third that I have listened by Travis, if we disinclude Good Feeling which I did listen but only once, and not very carefully (I wasn't impressed after first listening).
It was a good move, I must say, because "Side" soon became my favorite Travis' song, equally strong musically as Sing and with a little more life-meaning lyrics. The point of the lyrics, however, are that "we all live under the same sky", that "we all will live, we all will die", that we want something we cannot have and obsess about those things instead of enjoying in what we have in life as given. We want to live as longer is possible, instead of living this who-knows-how-long life fully.
This album is organic and personal, full of heartfelt lyrics ("I prayed to God if there is heaven, but heaven seems so very far from here"), what is best seen in "The Humpty Dumpty Love Song" - excellent track, probably best lyrics on album, only it doesn't have any rememberable instrumentation, but we can't really expect that at the end of such album full of hits like "Sing", "Side" and "Flowers in the Window".
Aside from the songs I mentioned, I also like the tender "The Cage", the catchy "Follow The Light" and the calming "Indefinitely".
The Man Who
Travis on this album sounds much younger and more melancholic than, let's say, today. Even though they were young, the fact is that this album made the foundation of their later popularity. They found themselfs on the right place (Scotland, U.K.) and in the right time of music ("britpop" era was not yet completely gone) and this sound, the sound that this album has is the sound where Travis felt the most "home", the root, sad, melancholic britopop songs with no much experimenting (which can also be taken as a downpoint in rock sense).
Interesting though, the hidden track on this album sounds rockier than any of the revealed. So, my opinion is that the last song should've been hidden, because it's very good.
"Turn", "Driftwood" and "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" should be considered classics, of I don't know what, but classics they have to be. There is just something jouvenile in the these songs, the ability to "hit" you with a feeling. That's the experience which I didn't have with any other of their albums as much as I appreciate them all musically.
Also, my personal favorite (a hidden "gem") is a track "The Fear". The lyrics lingered in my head after I listened it for the first time and the feeling was so sweet. Then I listened it on repeat over and over again. I think that is the only "different" song on this album, with a little bit of experimenting and with interesting instrumental background which makes it soft and relaxing.
"Writing To Reach You" is quiter than the three classics I mentioned, it has wonderful melody and touching lyrics. Listen to it when Fran Healy sings it live, it's really something.
All reviews and ratings can be found on my Rate Your Music profile
I think this album by Travis is their closest to perfection. There are songs different than the ones on earlier albums, the ambient of album is more dark and lyrics deal with more serious themes. Good songs are:
"Re-Offender[/album]" - reminds me of early Radiohead, it has awsome guitar riff at the begining, playing with vocals in the verse and in chorus - wonderfull contrast
"[track artist=Travis]The Beautiful Occupation" - a little weaker than previously mentioned one, the instrumental reminds me a little bit of Interpol, and song has a dose of trip-hop as well as some other tracks on albums have, plus great guitar work after the middle.
"
Mid-Life Krysis" - dark lyrics and melody and one of the best choruses by Travis. I also like the sound of harmonica in the background."
Love Will Come Through" - this one doesn't have any instrumentation especially distinctive, but lyrics and singing and alltogether makes this one really catchy song. It's also "classic Travis", meaning that it sounds like it could be from one of the previous two albums."
Quicksand" - may be the best song on this album, together with "Re-Offender". "Quicksand" is really great way to start an album and to get an inmidiate insight of the album's sound which is actually quite different sound, more playful and more rock than on previous album. And that is truly great - that the band took that step despite the risk of losing part of fans.An album ends with a trip-hop-like "
Walking Down the Hill" containing a hidden acoustic piano and vocals-only "Some sad song" which sounds pretty sad indeed.The Invisible Band
It's interesting now to think that "Sing" was for a long time of not being obsessed with Travis (like I am now) their best song, and alongside with "Why does it always rain on me?" from The Man Who, those two songs I always could listen and sing-along.
"Sing" is the first song on this album and it's band's trademark song to date, I think. But it's very unfair to dismiss a band as a one hit wonder. I don't know why but it took me a long time to move from just one album (The Boy With No Name) to another (12 Memories), and this album was the third that I have listened by Travis, if we disinclude Good Feeling which I did listen but only once, and not very carefully (I wasn't impressed after first listening).
It was a good move, I must say, because "Side" soon became my favorite Travis' song, equally strong musically as Sing and with a little more life-meaning lyrics. The point of the lyrics, however, are that "we all live under the same sky", that "we all will live, we all will die", that we want something we cannot have and obsess about those things instead of enjoying in what we have in life as given. We want to live as longer is possible, instead of living this who-knows-how-long life fully.
This album is organic and personal, full of heartfelt lyrics ("I prayed to God if there is heaven, but heaven seems so very far from here"), what is best seen in "
The Humpty Dumpty Love Song" - excellent track, probably best lyrics on album, only it doesn't have any rememberable instrumentation, but we can't really expect that at the end of such album full of hits like "Sing", "Side" and "Flowers in the Window".Aside from the songs I mentioned, I also like the tender "
The Cage", the catchy "Follow The Light" and the calming "Indefinitely".The Man Who
Travis on this album sounds much younger and more melancholic than, let's say, today. Even though they were young, the fact is that this album made the foundation of their later popularity. They found themselfs on the right place (Scotland, U.K.) and in the right time of music ("britpop" era was not yet completely gone) and this sound, the sound that this album has is the sound where Travis felt the most "home", the root, sad, melancholic britopop songs with no much experimenting (which can also be taken as a downpoint in rock sense).
Interesting though, the hidden track on this album sounds rockier than any of the revealed. So, my opinion is that the last song should've been hidden, because it's very good.
"
Turn", "Driftwood" and "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" should be considered classics, of I don't know what, but classics they have to be. There is just something jouvenile in the these songs, the ability to "hit" you with a feeling. That's the experience which I didn't have with any other of their albums as much as I appreciate them all musically.Also, my personal favorite (a hidden "gem") is a track "
The Fear". The lyrics lingered in my head after I listened it for the first time and the feeling was so sweet. Then I listened it on repeat over and over again. I think that is the only "different" song on this album, with a little bit of experimenting and with interesting instrumental background which makes it soft and relaxing."Writing To Reach You" is quiter than the three classics I mentioned, it has wonderful melody and touching lyrics. Listen to it when Fran Healy sings it live, it's really something.
All reviews and ratings can be found on my Rate Your Music profile
