Travis Album: “The Man Who”

I've been waiting for this album for a full year, holding off on buying it from the UK and paying through the nose. However, after hearing this latest from Travis, I'm kicking myself that I didn't do it earlier. Simply amazing is the only thing I can say. Every song, and I mean every single one, is a classic. I can see where the comparisons to Radiohead come from, but it's a different feeling entirely. Where as the melencholy associated with Radiohead is heavily depressing, what The Man Who does, is make you think of all the little moments in your life that in retrospect were the big moments. Like that girl you let get away, or wondering what if... Sad and dreamy but with a tinge of the kind of hope that everyone needs to keep going in their daily life. Grin and bear it... Standouts include Writing to Reach You, Driftwood, The Last Laugh of Laughter (which almost sounds like a lullaby) and She's so Strange, which is the perfect winsome, what if? song. Slide Show is a perfect ending to the proper tracks. The extra tracks are almost as good, but a little rough around the edges. Amazing work from these guys. Their last one, 1997's Good Feeling was great, but this is heads and shoulders above anything anyone had a right to expect. I doubt this one will ever be far from my cd player for the rest of my days. Haunting, beautiful, melodic, and dreamlike. Buy it, you will never regret it.

Thanks to a strong recommendation from my brother, I didn't hesitate to pick up this second release by Travis. Upon first listen, I couldn't see why he felt this was such a great collection, but after 4 more spins, I was convinced. This is a fantastic album and a truly impressive one, given the fact that it's only their second.

Travis falls somewhere on the musical scale between Oasis and Radiohead. Granted, none of the tracks on The Man Who are as loud as some of those by the two aforementioned groups; but there are similarities. Musically, the 10 tracks on this cd fall somewhere between "Cast No Shadow" by Oasis and "Let Down" by Radiohead.

That's not to say that The Man Who isn't inviting. With the strong opening track "Writing To Reach You", the album opens extremely well. Above all, it showcases the band's ability to write great mid tempo pop songs and execute them flawlessly. Another bright spot of the album is "Driftwood", which picks up where "Writing" left off. The rest of the album seems to maintain a very laid back feel throughout, but it's far from boring. "She's So Strange" and "The Last Laugh Of The Laughter" demonstrate some of the bands more Beatle-esque qualities. Even the bonus tracks are memorable here.

All in all, this is an excellent collection of strong and accessible music. It's the perfect choice for anyone who enjoys Brit-pop, but isn't looking for something that will change the world. That having been said, it's still 100 times better then anything else on American radio right now (not that that's saying much).

Travis took a dramatic step from their previous album, "Good Feeling" and I adore both forms of this Brit-rock staple. I love all the songs on the cd, literally every single one. From the slightly incomprehensible "She's so Strange" to the simple but effective "Slide Show". Some of the songs are unmistakably tied to emotional times in my life, and "Why Does it always Rain on me" reminds me very strongly of three rainy but happy months I spent in Scotland. The extra tracks are also definitely worth a listen. "Blue Flashing Light" always scares me because I forget its there and I am usually dosing off at the end of the cd when this slightly disturbing hidden track comes on. But here Travis just shows their versatality. However, my the Man Who experience is highlighted by one of my favorite Travis songs of all time, "Writing to Reach You", a song that borrows from Oasis and comes out with something better. Fran Healy shows that simplicity is more poetic than any indecipherable metaphor Radiohead can come up with. I still love Radiohead; I just love Travis more.

Last summer, many music fans in the United Kingdom were astonished by Travis's unprecedented success, which commenced numerous weeks after the release of the band's sophomore album, The Man Who. Even after selling more than 2.5 million copies of the album and winning two Brit Awards (the U.K. equivalent of the Grammys) for Best Group and Best Album, the members of Travis are determined to keep their egos in check and to connect with audiences worldwide through honest lyrics and exquisite melodies.

The Man Who resonates in the hearts of its listeners because the songs express innate human truths. Fran Healy's (Travis's lyricist and singer) descriptions of love, loss, and desire immediately tap into the soul. Appropriately, Beck's and Radiohead's current producer, Nigel Godrich, helped arrange the album's delicate harmonies. The emotion and sensitivity in Healy's singing might even remind some of Radiohead's Thom Yorke, especially on the Beatles-esque "The Last Laugh of the Laughter."

Regardless, Healy's passionate, sincere words stand out; for example, the identifiable, ironic lyrics of the upbeat "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" were arguably the catalyst for the album's success in Europe. In "Writing to Reach You" and "Slide Show," Healy alludes to "Wonderwall" by Oasis, a band to whom Travis has also been compared. As he explained during a U.S. promotional tour earlier this year, the latter tune is about how songs can spark images and memories in one's mind. Healy also added that the sweet "As You Are" is about the importance of lowering one's guard and taking off masks. On the domestic version of The Man Who, listeners are rewarded with three hidden songs at the end of the album: "Blue Flashing Light," "20," and "Only Molly Knows." The standout track, "20" is an introspective, acoustic tune about a person leaving behind the teenage years. The Man Who is a moving and addictive record. With Healy's considerable songwriting abilities and the musical talents of all its four members, Travis has a promising chance of reaching American audiences.

Travis's THE MAN WHO is an excellent sophomore effort from a band that is too little known in the States. It is a much softer and more coherent effort than their debut (GOOD FEELING), with a few real gems. Normally I wouldn't like a band that is so clearly derivative, but here the influences seem to improve upon the original.

The sound of this album is best described as a cross between Oasis and Radiohead (Travis has toured with Oasis; they share a producer with Radiohead). The songs are less angry than those of Oasis and more accessible than those of Radiohead. Lead singer Fran Healy has the quintessential voice for a star of the British rock band--just enough accent, just enough attitude.

The sound of the album is amazingly consistent; most of the songs are midtempo, a place where Travis seems to excel. Particularly strong tracks on the album include "Writing to Reach You," "Driftwood," "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?", and the hidden track "Blue Flashing Light." "Writing to Reach You" blatantly steals the opening chords from Oasis's "Wonderwall" (Healy has admitted this publicly), but it changes it up enough to make something original and quiet good; this song really showcases his voice. "Driftwood" is very poppy, light and bouncy. "Why Does Is Always Rain On Me?", the song which launched this album in the UK, has very amusing lyrics.

The hidden track "Blue Flashing Light" is a little different from the other songs on the album. It's louder and more defiant (it's a song about domestic abuse) and, pleasantly enough, it works. The sound of THE MAN WHO is so even that it often seems like a mood piece, something to put on when you're feeling a little blue. "Blue Flashing Light" suggests that Travis can truly rock when they want--and I'm personally looking forward to their next album (due in the spring, early summer 2001), which promises to deliver some more excellent midtempo songs (like "Coming Around", their latest UK single) as well as some more all-out rock songs.

Highly recommended to fans of early Oasis and Radiohead, as well as people with a general hankering for Britpop.