Lie on your back on a patch of grass and take a few moments to gaze up at the clouds. Along with the shape of a dragon and a superhero, you’ll find a Scottish quartet floating by.
Travis has tiptoed their way into the music world, but they will not be leaving in the near future and they will by no means go quietly.
It has been more than a year since the band’s second album, The Man Who, was released but the album just recently began to appear on the new release racks in music stores. The music mastery prevalent Travis’ latest work demands a double take.
Band members Fran Healey, singer/songwriter, Andy Dunlop, guitar, Dougie Payne, bass and Neil Primrose, drums, joined together in 1996.
Their name comes from the character played by Harry Dean Stanto in the movie, Paris, Texas. The guys of Travis call Glasgow, Scotland home and have recently taken over the charts in the UK.
Their first album, Good Feeling, was not well received even though they were nominated for Best New Comer in the 1998 Brit Awards. Unfortunately, they failed to win any awards until the 2000 Brit Awards when they won both the Best Band and Best Album categories.
As evident by their success at the 2000 Brit Awards, Travis came back strong in their second album. The band spent six months in six different studios creating songs for The Man Who as opposed to the four days it took them to compile their debut album. The second album also features increased instrumentation backing up the creative lyrics of Fran Healy.
The book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Cat, by Oliver Sacks, inspired the title for Travis’ latest release. Sack’s book is commonly recognized as a collection of schizophrenic case studies.
The band, appropriately, has an Oasis feel to it, seeing as how they tagged along with Oasis during their American tour.
The album itself is best described by Healey as “an album for staying in. not going out.” The opening track, “Writing to Reach You,” establishes Travis’ calming and creative sound as the first note is played.
The band’s web site, www.travisonline.com, features biographies of each band member along with lyrics and chords to many songs. — A —
