Following on from the 'Essentials' here is a 'Deeper Dozen' of songs from the band Travis. This article explores the band back catalogue in a little more detail...
U16 Girls - The hilarious lyrics (“So make sure that she's old enough before you blow your mind”), Andy Dunlop’s crunchy guitar riffing and singalong ‘na na na na na na nas’ make it impossible to dislike this rollicking banger.
More than Us - Fifth (!!!) single from the debut album. It is the first in a trio of more ‘delicate’ songs (also check out ‘Funny Thing’) that close ‘Good Feeling’ and hint at the direction change that would come with ‘The Man Who’. This lushly orchestrated composition brought the band their first Top 20 success. On one of the many b-sides there is a gutsy cover of John Lennon’s ‘Give Me Some Truth’ too!
Writing to Reach You - First single from ‘The Man Who’ unashamedly references ‘Wonderwall’. Arguably this is the superior song. The transition from verse to chorus is seamless, perfectly punctured by Andy Dunlop’s hailstorm style guitar.
Luv - A co-write between Fran Healy and Adam Seymour produced one of the bands best lyrics on this mournful ballad - “What’s so wrong? Why the face so long? Is it over?” - we have all been there! Fran Healy has said that the song brought Liam Gallagher to tears when he played it to him!
Coming Around - This standalone single made it to number 5 in the UK charts and is possibly the best ‘pop’ song that the band have released to date. The jangling guitar and breaks in the verse give it a very ‘Byrdsy’ feel. The video, with Fran Healy lost in LA dressed as an egg, is surprisingly moving too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEyHoceaPHw
Humpty Dumpty Love Song - Standout and closing track from third album ‘The Invisible Band’. The song builds achingly around strummed guitar and a lyric that uses ‘Humpty Dumpty’ as a metaphor - “You’ve got the glue, so I’m going to give my heart to you”. The beauty of this song lies in its simplicity and Fran Healy’s forlorn vocal.
The Beautiful Occupation - The punchy second single from ’12 Memories’ was one of the most guitar heavy things that the band had put out since their first record. Unlike that album the subject matter here was also heavier, as illustrated by this anti-Iraq war protest song. The album contains several standouts ‘Quicksand’, ‘Mid-life Krysis’ and ‘Walking Down the Hill’ to name a few.
Closer - If you do not consider 2004s ‘Singles’ compilation, Travis did not return until 2007. ‘The Boy With No Name’ was preceded by top 10 single ‘Closer’. Stylistically, this heart on sleeve singalong is reminiscent of earlier hits. The short film that accompanied the song features none other than Ben Stiller! You can see it here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2hYn_4yuhc
J Smith - There was another direction shift on ‘Ode to J Smith’. The lead single is a mini-masterpiece that rocked harder than anything that the band had put out in over a decade. The song takes various twists and turns in just over three minutes making it a breathless roller coaster of a listen.
Moving - On 2013s ‘Where You Stand’ Travis returned to more familiar anthemic territory. The album is solid with the second single, Dougie Payne’s ‘Moving’, a super highlight.
Magnificent Time - 2016s ‘Everything at Once’ was accompanied by a film directed by Fran Healy consisting of videos to accompany the songs. This catchy co-write between Fran Healy and Tim Rice Oxley is great fun. The whacky music video fits well with the songs playful nature - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyq_Up37Eic
Kissing in the Wind - Standalone single from 2019 in support of documentary ‘Almost Fashionable’. Featuring old band footage, the video for this lush and wistful track makes it all feel rather poignant - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBq3s6c-iS4
Comments