"True perfection has to be imperfect, I know that that sounds foolish but it’s true.”
If this lyric doesn’t strike a nostalgic chord that makes your heart thrum with affection then stop reading now.
Okay, those of you still reading, which should be everyone. I have just registered, just to reply to this unjust article. Why do we always criticise people for being themselves? It takes great courage, nowhere more so than in the entertainment industry, except school. Going your own way is always commendable, so why attack people who do not conform?
I know why. It has always been the way that forerunners to new styles are not as acclaimed as those that come after. Chris Martin has said that he owes Travis a debt of gratitude because without them Coldplay wouldn’t have been as lauded, accepted and popular as they are now. Or even, God forbid, that they would be in the same position as Travis are now. So Travis have “greased the pole” for everyone else, Coldplay, Keane and the such like, like blur did for Oasis. Is that such a bad thing? Nostalgic it may be, but Britpop signalled the beginning of the end of “pop” music. So nostalgia is necessary to escape the manufactured music we hoped to have left behind after the death of the boy band.
Least Travis don’t always do the same thing over and over like you can accuse most groups of being, especially Coldplay. Don’t get me wrong, I like Coldplay as well, but see how the Americans have lapped them up and practically adopted them, that’s never a good sign. Travis have become more inventive and progressive, you can see a natural advancement through the course of their albums. Who can distinguish between “A Rush of Blood to the Head” and “X & Y”? Travis have gained confidence and assurance in their work, the exact opposite to most bands, including Coldplay, who lose sight of themselves in the face of fame and put on a show due to their identity crisis. It feels like all their previous albums have been leading up to “The Boy With No Name”, including the deviant “12 Memories”.
“12 Memories” was a brave detour but unwise in a music industry that follows each other like sheep, “The Boy With No Name”, their first real album since, has brought a sense of fun, conviction and emotion to a moribund genre that takes itself too seriously. They may write songs about domestic abuse, self-destructive relationships, deceit, fatherhood, apathy and the inevitable unrequited love among others, but they do so with such hope, wit and truth that they elevate the mundane and deepen the profound rather than obscure the point of the song. Their songs are intelligent because they keep it simple, unlike Coldplay again. Most music nowadays talks about the everyday, but don’t mistake truth for being banal. Travis subvert clichés, make fun affectionate of popular culture, latching onto an aspect rather than the general whole, thereby managing to keep with the tradition of true musicians rather than amateur and lucky wannabes. They are an antidote to the cynicism that pervades our music society.
Travis take inspiration from everything around us, including the media, like modern day poets catching the moment, understanding the current climate and hitting the zeitgeist perfectly. After all Musicians were poets first. They find a new way of expressing what has become dissected and destroyed to the point of desecration, especially in the indie scene. Only the more established artists can revive the stagnant genre, rather than every new fad that comes along and burns out as quickly as it came. That’s why Travis appear to be adult-orientated, which proves how childish NME reviewers are if you don’t get Travis’s music and its intelligence. Just because Travis are sentimental and lyrical and poetical doesn’t make them inferior or corny.
NME has always been fickle, preoccupied with the superficial, bands who talk about nightclubs, getting wasted and having one-night-stands. Grabbing hold of the coat tails of the next big thing, the latest craze and fashionable bands like a love struck groupie. And then drops them the second they don’t quite live up to the ideal and become a disappointment. Universal truths, profundities and genuine emotion shouldn’t be dumbed down, obscured or relegated to Shakespeare, novels and philosophy, why can’t it be expressed in music?
“3 Times and You Lose” is a return to what was good about indie music and what has been lost when it was passed on to the new generation: guitar riffs, a simple tune and voices. What Travis do best are the subtle changes from light to shade and Fran’s voice is perfect for expressing that. Their music may appear to be familiar, and this sounds like classic Travis, but it is playing on it. They are never afraid to say anything controversial and meaningful for fear of alienating people: “We never look at one another, only when the other suffers”. They have never taken the easy route or pandered to their audience, yet still they have a dedicated fan base. Even the most divisive of people usually become familiar; Eminem is a case in point.
“Selfish Jean” is a culture shock for anyone who tries to pigeon-hole Travis and hasn’t heard “Good Feeling”. It is unlike any other song that they have ever done. It starts off with a sarcastic line “cheers, thanks for everything”, where has the humour gone from music? The joyful tone is misleading, the voice is embittered but still uplifting, this is Travis after all. There is a sense of humanity that you don’t get from anyone else: “If you can’t see me happy well just look the other way”. Their songs have become less poetic and more accessible since the critically acclaimed “The Man Who”. It is a very grown-up song yet hugely childish, it is representative of real life without being conventional. This is a walking contradiction of a song.
“Closer” is familiar Travis with a twist, a new age modern ballad for the current climate. Fran has clearly taken inspiration from the play and film of the same name, capturing the spirit of the emotion rather than ripping it to pieces. Like the film it is slightly depressing, but still hopeful. It simply expresses the contemporary idea of the need for human contact in our increasingly detached world, despite all the communication we engage in on a daily basis. So how can Travis be nostalgic when this song is deeply rooted in the present? Just watch the reaction to them on Top Gear and you’ll see what I’m getting at with this song, “very very tuneful” indeed. It is maybe too subtle, would you rather that they hit you over the head with it like a sledgehammer, or is that what you need?
“Big Chair” is a return to the catchy guitar riff, which I must admit is nostalgic, but is not annoying for it. It captures the mood perfectly, an elegy on the heartbreaking end to a relationship, a clichéd subject somehow portrayed in a new way. It is unusual and you’re unlikely to hear anything like it anywhere else. It is obscure like Coldplay but still makes sense. It can also be taken further; it can be seen as showing the unpredictability of life, the aimlessness of our generation’s existence, facing a future without meaning or purpose. Where can you find such a feeling expressed so perfectly and simply? I’m excited to think what they will come up with if they ever see “Children of Men”
“Battleships” references popular culture to express its idea, so how can it be adult-orientated when it utilises a childhood game? Who else would use happy guitar riffs to talk about a self-destructive relationship? There is a quiet sense of acceptance and resignation that is so real; Fran’s voice is so hopeful, innocent and affectionate that it could almost seem frivolous if the thoughts being expressed weren’t so deadly serious.
“Eyes Wide Open” proves that Travis can do unsentimental. The angry guitar riff harks back to the criminally overlooked “Re-offender”, the thumping rhythm is ideal and very popular at the moment. The song is very self-aware and self-mocking, very intelligent with black humour thrown into the seamless mix. There are indirect references to feelings and actions like “eiderdown is my only defence”. Travis have such a natural feel and instinct for music that just isn’t seen nowadays and is reminiscent of the 60’s, seen as the golden age of music.
“My Eyes”, is this what you mean by adult-orientated? Because you can’t get more adult than having a child, unless you take the alarming trend in teen pregnancy into account… Fran is talking to his newborn as if he’s grown-up and it may be littered with clichés, but they are very cleverly used: Pretty soon you will see tears in my eyes”. Anyone who has seen Travis will know that they can be as childish as anyone, they are full of fun and as unwilling to grow up as everyone else. Fatherhood may be a mature experience, but they are still as immature as ever. Honest, open and truthful, this song has a sense of genuine emotion and that defines a classic song, not how many expletives they can fit onto a line, how many controversial sentiments they can include, or how many people they can offend. Travis have never pretended to be someone they’re not, rather than the false images, pretences or facades that most bands hide behind. The best songs touch us, that’s why music means something.
“One Night” is a classic Travis tune, subverting clichés and possibly growing a touch more cynical. It expresses the significance of the moment, the ephemeral nature of life and the sudden changes for the good as well as the bad: “Trying to wake you as daylight it breaks through the eye of the storm”. There is no black and white here.
“Under the Moonlight” is the first cover on a Travis album, no mean feat which says a lot. K T Tunstall’s backing vocals matches the tone perfectly, how can they be nostalgic if they can combine with modern artists so effortlessly? This song links the joy, exuberance and respect that Travis show live when they cover other peoples’ songs, except for “Baby One More Time”…
“Out in Space” is quieter and more tranquil in tone, a classic Travis album track: inventive, picturesque and subdued, like the “Humpty Dumpty Song”. Look it up.
“Colder” highlights everything that is good about Travis: cracking guitar riffs, sentimentality without corn or cheese, invention, experimentation, lightness of touch, gentle tone, humanity and honesty of expression. This song covers the whole gamete of emotion; it goes with the flow and captures the current mood. There is a sense of foreboding and then they bring in a mouth organ!
“New Amsterdam” wears its Travis heart on its sleeve. It lays bear the links to popular culture; Travis are named after a character in the film “Paris, Texas”. There is also nostalgia because it includes hidden tracks, tracks that are far better than most of their contemporaries’ album tracks and shows Travis’s flexibility and range; the last is classical in tone with a dramatic piano solo. “It’s a new day, it’s a new dawn”… and hopefully Travis will finally gain the recognition they deserve.
Whoever wrote this didn't write enuf about the hidden tracks! :-( What a pity , would have liked to read about them too as they are very precious and significant.
"After all Musicians were poets first. "
Absolutely , especially Fran, I mentioned in last post , read the lyrics on their own , together , , they are great reading.
"It feels like all their previous albums have been leading up to “The Boy With No Name”, including the deviant “12 Memories”.
(Naughty 12 memories haha . A great Travis album.)
I think that quote is right. TBWNN is , to me , rooted in the same heart as 12 Mems, just not so raw , with wider music appeal. A gem.
"It feels like all their previous albums have been leading up to “The Boy With No Name”, including the deviant “12 Memories”.
(Naughty 12 memories haha . A great Travis album.)
I think that quote is right. TBWNN is , to me , rooted in the same heart as 12 Mems, just not so raw , with wider music appeal. A gem.
Haha, I think it's funny that 12 Mems is referred to as the deviant. Actually the first Travis song I ever downloaded was 'Love Will Come Through'. I heard it on the trailer to Garden State. It was my gateway drug. The path to Travis for me wasn't very conventional.
I adore 12 Memories; I didn't mean deviant in that sense. It was just too unconventional for the common listener, that's what I meant. This was written by me as a reply to the NME review, turned into a defensive rant, but it has its moments.
Thank you. I guess deviant sounds too much like devious. Though I like both words. I agree that "Boy" is more like "12 Memories" than the other albums. I like the way the band's music is heading.
I believe so, correct me anyone if I'm wrong. I can't remember whose it is originally but check the album sleeve. K T Tunstall does backing vocals on it as well.
as far as im aware under the moonlight hasnt been released by the writer, susie hug, there may be a demo version floating around so its not a cover its its true sense.
it is someone elses song though but travis have done the arrangements, recording and the performing of course..
I adore 12 Memories; I didn't mean deviant in that sense. It was just too unconventional for the common listener, that's what I meant. This was written by me as a reply to the NME review, turned into a defensive rant, but it has its moments.
I know, I thought that deviant sounded naughty, that's all.
