L.A. Times
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TRAVIS – L.A. Times – Album Review
‘L.A. Times’ represents the tenth studio album from Scottish indie heroes Travis and it finds the band in fine form, instantly reminding the listener why they fell in love with the band in the first place.
Releases from the group may be more sporadic these days but the songs crafted by messrs Healy, Payne, Dunlop and Primrose still captivate as distinctively as ever. Indeed, over the course of the ten tracks on this album, you’ll pick up on elements of their best work alongside a stronger feeling of showmanship.
Those added bells and whistles help to ensure that these songs, recorded as per the title in Los Angeles, feel fresh and different whilst maintaining that reassuring familiarity. Lead single ‘Gaslight’ being a good example of how the foursome have taken their standard sound into more ambitious sonic territory.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘GASLIGHT’
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Described by Fran Healy as their most personal album since, ‘The Man Who’, you can genuinely hear how these tracks mean that little bit more than most their recent output. Healy in particular sounds more present with his trademark voice able to infiltrate your own consciousness with renewed gravity.
There is an interesting cross-pollination of the meaningful and the light-hearted both musically and lyrically over the course of the album and that makes for an engaging listening experience. The title-track which closes out the record is probably the most interesting song that the band have created together, and shows that they still have the ability to amaze.
The likes of ‘Alive’, ‘Bus’ and ‘Raze the Bar’ will stand the test of time and the album as a whole is up there with the likes of ‘The Man Who’ and ‘The Invisible Band’. It’s a pleasant surprise to know that some three decades into their career, Travis can still create a little magic.
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