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Travis Album Reviews 3out of 5
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The Boy With No Name

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Back in 2004, Travis released '12 Memories'; an underrated album which was perhaps a little too understated for all their former fans who cried out for another 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me?'. The sure sign of its apparent failure was the release of a greatest hits album, the usual reaction to a drop in record sales. Thankfully this didn't spell the end for the band but 'The Boy With No Name' does seem to signal a crossroads for them; seemingly caught midway between moody mid-paced numbers and whistle-friendly ditties which are inoffensive enough to attract the kind of listener who only buys a few albums a year.

One of their chief crimes is the insubstantial sickly sweet ballad. 'Closer' is unlikely to become quite as omnipresent as the aforementioned 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me?' but Fran Healy's softly-spoken chorus is a mawkish moment. That said, no other song is quite as irritating . Travis' chief weapon is the hypnotic melodies Andy Dunlop conjures up from his guitar. Whether summery on 'Selfish Jean', delicate and chiming for 'Under The Moonlight' or insistent on '3 Times And You Lose', Dunlop adds a distinctive touch of quality. Elsewhere Neil Primrose's shifting rhythms create a nice intensity for 'Big Chair', 'Eyes Wide Open' contains a smart riff but little else and the rest of the record passes by pleasantly but with few more diverting moments until the penultimate song 'Colder' makes an entrance; on this fine tune Healy's voice sounds at its most genuinely yearning. Still, for a popular band they produce enough credible moments to draw in the serious listeners.

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  Track Listing
01 3 Times And You Lose
02 Selfish Jean
03 Closer
04 Big Chair
05 Battleships
06 Eyes Wide Open
07 My Eyes
08 One Night
09 Under The Moonlight
10 Out In Space
Standout Track Colder
12 New Amsterdam

Standout Track = Standout Track

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Weblink:
http://www.travisonline.com/
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Also Recommended:
Devlins, The - Consent
Travis - The Invisible Band, 12 Memories
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