Travis' new album, 12 Memories, is perfect for temporary alleviation from the scholastic uproar that plagues so many students, as it provides some subtle musical distraction. It entails something soothing, feathery, and sweetly simple: basically, something that can give a brain a little candy to suck on while dealing with tougher issues. Travis' album does exactly what it is supposed to do.
Travis' 12 Memories is a lifesaver for the mind. This album is the fourth example of the band's tendency to write songs that are gentle, comforting, and relatively uncomplicated. The songs are filled with messages of melancholy, loneliness, gloominess, and all the other blues that result from a love gone wrong.
Other songs reveal anti-war sentiments and frustration toward current social and political situations throughout the world. Even though the lyrics are predominantly woeful, the melodies are upbeat and graceful, which is why it's an easy and enjoyable listen. Travis is a combination of intimate lyrics and unique instrumental accompaniment. For instance, in "Quicksand," the drum rhythm falls on the melody like pixie dust. Fran Healey's voice floats on top of the swaying melodies like an abandoned raft subject to the mood of the ocean.
The performances of the two guitars and piano were always notable in Travis' earlier works, and they continue to be so in 12 Memories. The instruments' relationship to each other produces a distinctive atmosphere in all of Travis' songs, an element fundamental to the band's sound. The electric guitar always creates a feeling of seriousness and detachment. Contrarily, the piano and acoustic guitar continue to cultivate warm and friendly rhythms. When the electric guitar is cool and elusive, the piano and acoustic guitar embrace it, making the song more cheery and approachable. The tune of "The Beautiful Offender" is a classic Travis sound. This instrumental relationship, combined with Healey's haunting singing, is what gives Travis its aura.
Travis' albums are perfect mood setters. Need to sleep? The Man Who is the perfect lullaby. Need a cozy-sweater-kind-of-warmth on a dreary day? Pop in 12 Memories. An additional plus: any of Travis' albums will do if you're in need of a sing-along.
A listener may have to choose whether to be content with Travis as a simple, comforting band that puts out albums that lack significant change or progression from the preceding one, or to demand more. It is unfair to compare Travis to Coldplay, who emerged around the same time, or Radiohead, to whom they were compared by other critics. Travis is in a way more subtle than Coldplay and more atmospheric. To hold Travis up to Radiohead would be asking the members of the band to perform beyond their abilities. Travis has created a distinctive sound and is good at playing it. Change would be great and encouraged, but often consistency has its virtue. Besides, what good is change if it results in deterioration?
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