Travis: 12 Memories : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

The Scottish lads in Travis had a huge international hit in 1999 with The Man Who, and they seemed set for U.S. success. Unfortunately, they punted it with The Invisible Band, the flimsiest Brit-rock follow-up since the Stone Roses' Second Coming, and sound-alikes Coldplay came along to steal their place. But Travis are back on track with 12 Memories, featuring Fran Healy's boyish croon over warm U2/ Radiohead-style guitar strums. There are too many humdrum love ballads, and melancholic thirty-year-olds should never, never write songs called "Mid-Life Krysis." But, surprisingly, the strongest tunes here are John Lennon-style political rants. "The Beautiful Occupation" and "Peace the Fuck Out" are simple-minded and sincere, emotional rather than intellectual or ironic, and all the more powerful for it musically.

ROB SHEFFIELD
(RS 935, November 13, 2003)