Travis - Bugs, October 1997

Bugs

TRAVIS
Good Feeling
With their competitors Embrace postponing the release of their LP, Travis's album looks really like the debut of 1997. If their support slot for Oasis did Travis a lot of good introducing them to a mainstream audience (and we all know how much the lads liked "U16 Girls"), I'm quite scared of how much their pub/stadium aspect will be underlined, losing completely the magics of their music.
And this album is the proof of how deep Travis can get. Reading the interview they gave me back in July, you'll notice how weary I was about all the Radiohead comparisons, but after listening to the LP I have to think it over again.
The LP kicks off with the epic "All I Want To Do Is Rock" and then apart from a couple of quite moody tracks like "Good Day To Die" (a real highlight) and "I Love You Anyways", we get all of Travis's more upbeat (or pubrock) songs. But instead of closing the album in such drunken style, the guys get as new grave as all the critics last summer wanted them to be.
And this is no bad thing when Fran "salt of the earth" Healy pours his heart out about feelings many of us know. And it's not about wanting to die or not being capable to get out of bed in the morning. It's coming to terms with yourself once something that was once part of your life has died--you know, surviving and coming out stronger.
And if you've seen Travis live, you'll know what I mean. Forget the bad times you've been through, Fran's voice is louder than anything else, the melody rising higher and higher and the good feeling will be with you.
Thanks to Laila for typing this up and sending it in!!
Bugs
October 1997
by Sylvia F

He-ey!

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