[.ca] Boy W/No Name

When I see you, I know it will be next to me:
Travis are not known for their cheerfulness, but they sound a bit happier this time around. This gentle Glaswegian band spins more melancholy Britpop tunes in "The Boy With No Name," with a general feeling of being more upbeat and musically together than in their last album. "I had a nightmare/I lived in a little town/where little dreams were broken/and words were seldom spoken," Fran Healy sings in a slightly off-key voice, over soft murmuring guitars. But they rapidly pick up into an increasingly vibrant sound, despite the bittersweetness of the song. The songs that follow are a similar mix of vibrant Britpop and melancholy lyrics -- the gentle, uncertain ripple of "Big Chair," the grimy stomp of "Eyes Wide Open," the keyboard shimmerpop, a rattly stomp that evolves into a tight pop tune, mellow little guitar ballads, and even a song with an Arcade Fire flair to it. Yeah, it sounds quite dark and melancholy, especially in the lyrics. But surprisingly Travis sound much peppier in "Boy With No Name," compared to their last album. There's a new passion in Healy's voice, and they sound like they're pouring lots of energy into the instrumentation. It's also quite nice that they haven't radically changed their sound as many bands do; they sound essentially the same in "Boy With No Name" as they have before. The ringing, gentle guitars, shimmery keyboard, gentle piano and solid drums are still solidly in place, though with renewed enthusiasm. But they've come up with some new flourishes to keep it from sounding like the same ol' same ol' -- a fuzzy intro, a clattery intro to "Selfish Jean," and a brilliantly epic mass of rippling keyboard and swirling guitars in "Colder," which takes Britpop to a new level. And as well as being musically brilliant, there's a personal appeal to this album as well. The song "My Eyes" -- as well as the album title -- are wrapped up in Fran Healy's baby son: "You've got my eyes/We can see, what you'll be, you can't disguise/And either way, I will pray, you will be wise..." Healy croons in his smooth, slightly off-kilter voice. The other songs are more uncertain, full of "my darkest night," moonlit strangers, and an ex who has "a quite alarming knack of knowing when to twist the knife." Travis took a well-deserved break before creating "Boy With No Name," and came out all the better for their vacation. A reimagined, newly revitalized sound, for a brilliant album.

Warm and emotional.:
After the safety first approach of a singles compilation as their fourth album, Travis have gone full pelt for their fifth - with another stripped-down soul-barer in the mould of their 1999 classic, "The Man Who". Now that is risk taking. Already, the likes of Coldplay and Keane have bottled and, indeed, tweaked the original Travis formula to a point where success in the fickle world of pop is virtually guranteed. For Travis, the new record, "The Boy With No Name", follows a similar path, ironically first laid down by the talented Scots nearly a decade ago. The question is will pop be big enough for the three of them? Travis with lead singer Fran Healey in fine fettle are certainly making a determined stab of it. Like "The Man Who", "The Boy With No Name" is a collection of songs as tuneful as they are emotional. And in "Big Chair", "Battleships" and "Eyes Wide Open" they have killer tracks that match "Why Does It Always Rain On Me" and "Driftwood" in the quality stakes. There's a real warmth to the material particularly on the moving "My Eyes", written the day Healey found out he was going to be a dad. In the past Travis have had the tag 'gloomy' thrown at them - "The Boy With No Name" is anything but. On the contrary, there are no whiny moments. Instead this album radiates feel good beautifully crafted songs that will lodge in the memory. "The Boy With No Name" is a wonderfully charming record that hopefully will see Travis regain their acoustic rock crown. You will love it!

• 3 Times And You Lose
• Selfish Jean
• Closer
• Big Chair
• Battleships
• Eyes Wide Open
• My Eyes
• One Night
• Under The Moonlight
• Out In Space
• Colder
• New Amsterdam