With the recent arrival of Travis’ seventh album, I have
taken to looking back through their entire back catalogue in order to compile a
list of my Top 10 favourite tracks. It is a difficult business compiling such a
list, as there is always a certain pressure for it to be definitive, but this
can rarely be the case because preferences are always changeable. As such this
is as close to a definitive Top 10 that I can currently manage, with the notion
in mind that it could very well change in time.
Travis are a band that it is very easy to like, not least
because they always come across as a likeable group (whether it be in
interviews, live performances etc.) and it reflects well in their music. Many
critics of the band often view being likeable as a bad thing, which says more
about the critics themselves than it does about the quality of the music!
With Travis the music has always been at the forefront of
their endeavours, which makes a lot of sense really. As a result their music is
far more likely to endure the test of time than a lot of more popular bands.
Their music has certainly remained on my radar, whilst various other bands have
come and gone.
With that said, here is my Top 10 Travis Songs list. Enjoy!
10. Something Anything
This single from “Ode To J. Smith” presented a very
different sounding Travis than the majority of what had come before. “Ode To J.
Smith” was the band’s first album to be released on their own record label, and
this track gives a clear indication of the band’s creative freedom. The song is
one of the shortest in the band’s entire repertoire, running at under two and a
half minutes, but the concise length is utilised very effectively. The song
begins straight away with some crunching electric guitars – not the usual – and
proceeds into a more offbeat, less melodic track than their typical lead
singles. There is a sense of urgency about the bridge that leads into the
chorus, and there are some great vocal harmonies when the chorus kicks in.
Then, for perhaps the only time in the band’s history, there is a guitar solo,
and a damned good one at that, which is punchy and makes its presence felt
before leading into the final chorus, not outstaying its welcome. The song then
ends almost as suddenly as it began. Short, sharp and brilliant; what more
could you want?
9. Mother
The opening track from the band’s latest album, “Where You
Stand” finds its way into my own personal top ten. It showcases the band’s
reinvigoration after a lengthy absence in a really attention-grabbing manner. A
gentle start, provided by a synthesiser and acoustic guitar leads into the
sudden explosion of a racing piano melody, combined with commanding guitar
riffs and crashing cymbals. During certain sections there are vocal harmonies
from the entire band, and they really add to the overall effect. This track
feels like the band went all-in, and it really pays off, providing a layered
and exciting tune which – once it hits its stride – races along right through
until the end.
8. Closer
I remember thinking at some point in 2007 “whatever happened
to Travis?” moments before seeing an advert for “The Boy With No Name”. The
much-maligned “12 Memories” had passed me by, and although I bought the “Singles”
collection, I had not kept up to date with the band’s progress around that
time. Consequently the advert sparked my interest, and introduced me to ‘Closer’
which was very much the epitome of what I liked to hear from the band
(especially at the time). The song is very delicate and sweet, and a shining
example of how Fran Healy’s sincerity makes such songs work so well, while
lesser vocalists would make it sound false. The song may not have been anything
new, but it didn’t need to be, as it showed that Travis knew exactly what they
were good at, and proved that they could do it better than most.
7. Chinese Blues
‘Something Anything’ was an effective piece of something
completely different, but the opening track from “Ode To J. Smith” went a step
further. ‘Chinese Blues’ kicks off with a jolt from the electric guitar and the
piano, and as the tempo builds the drums join the fray, setting the beat with
authority. It is a rare beast of a song, which combines soaring guitar riffs (and
jolts) with a melodic piano score. Lyrically the song is very dark, supposedly
dealing with the impending death – possibly suicide – of the eponymous J.
Smith, but unlike the band’s previous venture into darker territory (“12
Memories”) the lyrics are delivered with a lot more conviction, on top of a
powerful and well constructed arrangement.
6. Driftwood
Although “The Man Who” is the band’s most commercially
successful album, it only gets one entry on my list. While I am very fond of
‘Writing To Reach You’, ‘Turn’ and ‘Why Does It Always Rain On Me?’ my
favourite song from the album is ‘Driftwood’. The opening guitar strains always
bring the image of pouring rain to my mind, and those strains return during the
glorious vocal hook of the “...and you really didn’t think it could happen...”
bridge. Lyrically the song deals with the idea of friends who have the
potential to do wonderful things, but never truly realise that potential,
because they never act on it. It is certainly an identifiable subject. I always
enjoy the simple wordplay in the lyrics, and the way each line flows neatly
into the next “Rivers turn to ocean/Oceans tide you home/Home is where the
heart is” etc. I also find something really charming about the line “Pushes
turn to shovels”, due to initially misinterpreting the meaning of shovel as a cute
verb instead of the literal meaning!
5. Selfish Jean
‘Closer’ brought back a familiar sounding Travis to my ears,
but the follow-up single from “The Boy With No Name” introduced me to the band’s
quirkier side. It was slightly experimental, whilst retaining the band’s signature
charm. Opening with a bombastic drum section, underscored with the bass guitar,
before the rhythm and lead guitars come in, and ring out over the top. The
standout lyric has to be “You keep the chocolate biscuits wired to a car alarm”
because it’s funny and charming. It’s a very unusual line, but it showcases
that through his style and sense of humour, Fran Healy can make it work.
4. Before You Were Young
There are some really nice closing tracks on Travis’ albums,
but out of all of them my personal favourite is ‘Before You Were Young’. Before
the song begins the sound of a gong being struck is heard, and there is a brief
moment of silence before the gorgeous piano melody starts up. The verses are light
and fragile, while the chorus brings the gong back into play to create a
towering sound that crashes like ocean waves, before settling back down into
the piano-driven melody once again. Lyrically the song seems to be etched with
regret, conveyed through heartfelt sentiments such as “But I’ve only got two
hands/and I never learned to dance/I’ll never get a second chance”. There is
also a sense of comfort “I’ll take the breath away from your sighs/and wipe the
tears away from your eyes/and hope the fire never dies/inside you”. Fran Healy’s
voice erupts with emotion during the second chorus, repeating the phrase “I
love you” alongside the thunderous reverberations of the gong, which – for me –
really elevates this song above many others.
3. Where You Stand
The lead from Travis’ latest album is currently – at the
time of writing this – one of my favourite songs, which explains why it is so
high on this list! The arrangement is absolutely faultless: the piano phrases,
the ascending guitar and bass chords, the subtle drum beat; all of it just
works together beautifully. The song is about loving someone unconditionally,
regardless of any obstacles the relationship comes up against. There are some
really nice understated vocal hooks in the chorus – the “and wait while...” and
“so tell me” parts which fall between the lines – which allow the lyrics to ebb
and flow really smoothly. There is not much more to say about this song really,
it’s just really good.
2. Sing
I didn’t discover Travis when “The Man Who” came out, and so
missed out on the huge success that accompanied it. My introduction to the band
came when I saw the music video to the first single from “The Invisible Band”. The
music video to ‘Sing’ is one of my favourites, it is funny and memorable, and looks
like it must have been a lot of fun to film. Probably the first thing to catch
my attention was the homage to The Beatles film “HELP!” as darts are being
thrown at a screen of the band performing. Another thing I like about it is
that every member of the band gets to share in the spotlight, as opposed to
just the lead singer being the focus (the best part for me has to be Andy’s spectacular
dive, whilst throwing a handful of spaghetti). The song is quite
straightforward, but the inclusion of a banjo adds a lot. It will always be the
first Travis song I remember hearing (maybe I heard songs from “The Man Who”
indirectly beforehand) and as such it will always be significant to me.
1. I Love You Anyways
My favourite Travis song comes from their debut album “Good
Feeling” and is unquestionably the standout track from that record. ‘I Love You
Anyways’ describes the feeling of falling in love, and the thoughts that go
through your mind when something so significant happens. It tells its story
very honestly, and is completely believable, making reference to catching the
44 bus, and expressing a desire to escape the dreary old city with someone who
is so beautiful they should be framed in a fine art gallery. The song is built
around a really nice repeated bass guitar riff, and has the feeling of a slow
dance at the end of a long night. It is my favourite song by Travis, and will likely
remain so.
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