ComfortComes

Travis – Ode To J.Smith

Travis always stuck me as the “little band that could.” They always seemed to float around and flirted with that big album. The band before the release of this album cut ties with Independiente their label and decided to set up their own Red Telephone Box label with some solid distribution behind it. The records first single “Something Anything” showed a band going to back to their roots at a time when we all loved Fran Healy and the boys. That is what “Something Anything” did so well it got us off those bad feelings that the first two record gave us and brought us back to that happy time when Travis was loose and charming bunch.

“Ode To J.Smith” is not the return to “Good Feeling” era Travis but it is certainly their loudest album in a long time. The record starts off with the track “Chinese Blues” and a nice little piano solo that continues through the whole song and it gives it a variable. “J.Smith” was the bands first single released from the album but was very limited release. The track doesn’t really get interesting till the end when the random choir comes in. I did not see that coming at all and it was awesome. “Something Anything” is a great sound for Travis. The track is short, catchy and punchy and it “Last Words” showcases a little banjo work and it was great to see Travis dust it off and get that back in the mix. “Get Up” is a bit silly but it sounds like Travis is having a fun time with this record. “Before You Were Young” is the emotional track on the album. It had to happened but the song is a little dull. I think they tried hard to make it grandiose and epic. They should have just left Fran alone.

It is easily the strongest Travis album in years. It is great to see these guys back in solid form again. They are just so easy to like and you want to root for him. The move to the indie label seems to have done wonders for the band.

By John Siwicki