Travis – 12 Memories

Artist: Travis

Title: 12 Memories

Label: Epic

Rating: 6.5/10

Corporate Line: 12 Memories is Travis at their most powerful, poignant and effecting. It is an album that sees Travis explore lyrically darker themes – the forthcoming single Re- Offender tackles the hidden crime of domestic violence. Musically, too, there is a sea of change: Travis have rediscovered a spirit of adventure and set sail on courses new. This is a far edgier and brooding set of songs than anything that has gone before. Yet, Travis still possesses eloquence and an ear to a fine tune.

The Good:
“Quicksand” – A lovely melody covers up “the sound of one more rock star bleeding”. Is fame becoming too much? I hope not.
“Re-Offender” – This is what Travis does best; they slow it down and appeal to your tender side.
“Paperclips” – It’s almost painful to admit that Travis has slipped. The song is quite lovely, good, but nowhere near great.
“The Beautiful Occupation” – Not treacherous, just not good either. Travis doesn’t want to be Travis because Coldplay is busy doing that, but they aren’t good at being Blur either. This is the kind of silliness that Blur is best known for and Travis should stay their true course.

The Average:
“Peace The F**k Out” – Anti-war songs are all well and good, if you have something to say. Nevertheless the song should be good. Just because Fran swears doesn’t make the song passionate instead it sounds desperate.
“How Many Hearts” and “Love Will Come Through” – Tender, but where is the love? Where is the grand melody? Where is the part where I sing-a-long?

The Ugly:
“Mid-Life Krysis” – Dreadful. Rarely does Travis hand over such poorly written material.

Frankly: Travis seems to have lost their ambition. The Man Who was amazing; The Invisible Band was a turn while not turning completely around. 12 Moments sounds like a band who is stuck between those two previous albums and spinning their wheels. Travis is much better than this, perhaps the problem lies in the fact that Coldplay snuck up on them and stole their sound and became much more famous on it and now Travis feels obligated to prove they are more dimensional. It doesn’t work.

+ Rae Gun