Travis - Singles (CD)

All Music Guide

Next to Coldplay, no other band was as successful in disseminating postBritpop in the early 2000s as the Scottish fourpiece Travis. Ironically, starting out as a neotrad rock outfit on its 1997 debut album, Good Feeling, the band soon experienced a kind of soft rock epiphany and by its 1999 followup, The Man Who, was pursuing a decidedly more lowkey acoustic sound. Centered around the delicately sanguine vocals of Fran Healy, Travis found radiofriendly currency with such melancholy anthems as "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?," "Sing," and "Flowers in the Window." However, despite a knack for catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrical sentiments, Travis albums often have a "samey" quality, which makes Singles such a pleasant addition to the band's catalog. Featuring every one of Travis' singles including the aforementioned hits as well as a new cut, Singles works as a great introduction to the band, hitting all the high points while avoiding any midalbum filler. Of course, some memorable al...bum tracks like "Side" and "Safe" can't technically be included here, and fans will have to wait for the inevitable "bestof" disc for a more complete Travis picture. Until then, Singles will do just fine, thanks. - Matt Collar, All Music Guide Read more Less