With Travis‘ second studio album, The Man Who (1999), their sound transformed from the straight-ahead rock of their debut, Good Feeling (1997), to something more thoughtful and sensitive. Travis ushered in a wave of new acts on the heels of Britpop, including Coldplay, Starsailor, and Keane, as trailblazers of this new heart-on-your-sleeve spirit. After stints on tour opening for Oasis, multiplatinum record sales, and critical acclaim, including the 2000 Brit Awards for Best Album and Best British Group, Travis were poised to be the next big thing. In a rather surprising turn of events, Coldplay went on to earn worldwide fame, and Travis never lived up to the hype, garnering a significantly smaller following and less fanfare with each release.
The Glasgow band, which formed in art school in 1990, features Fran Healy (singer/songwriter), Andy Dunlop (guitarist), Neil Primrose (drummer), and Dougie Payne (bassist). L.A. Times, produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, M83, Silversun Pickups), is their tenth release, and Healy believes it is their most personal album since The Man Who. Healy, who has now lived in Los Angeles for the past decade, said, “There was a lot of big stuff to write about back then; the tectonic plates had shifted in my life. I was 22 when I was writing those songs. They were my therapy. Over 20 years later and the plates have shifted again. There’s a lot to talk about.” Unfortunately, the record does not deliver a consistent or compelling message, despite moments of quality that have always been present for a band of their caliber.
Insofar as L.A. Times wrestles with personal matters, the current state of affairs seems bleak. The first single, “Gaslight”, is a grand statement with a cheerful melody and prominent horns but conceals something darker. As the title suggests, the song is about the psychological abuse intent on sowing self-doubt, and it features lyrics such as “Golden showers on my head / Rainbows missing, presumed dead / I think I might just stay in bed.” The song is catchy, suggesting the juxtaposition must be intentional.
Similarly, “Bus”, another hummable tune, includes themes of losing trust and hoping for better days. Most jarring is the closer “L.A. Times”, which describes the depravity of the titular city, with scenes of pain and suffering strung together with expletives. That sounds more like fellow countrymen Arab Strap, something so unlike Travis that one has to wonder if the rage has been simmering beneath the surface this whole time (we did see some signs on “Blue Flashing Light”, the hidden track from The Man Who).
Some songs on L.A. Times do not seem overly intimate, but find Travis exploring approaches that would make them relevant again. “Raze the Bar”, which features Brandon Flowers and Chris Martin, comes across as an attempt to connect with their fellow man, with hums from the choir for emotional effect. It also doubles as an end-of-the-night crowd-pleaser, with references to shutting down your local watering hole. Either intention feels a little contrived, and including such big names for minor contributions doesn’t make the song feel any more authentic.
“The River” is an emotional release toward the end of the album and features traditional music and lyrics that serve as a blessing: “May you never known hunger / May you always quench your thirst / May you sleep when you’re tired / And then wake up with the birds.” Such an attempt might work if it didn’t signal such a shift in tone.
Parts of L.A. Times hearken back to Travis’ earlier work without the need for adornment or forays into other genres, which many fans will applaud. “Alive” would fit well on The Invisible Band (2001), notwithstanding the refrain that pays homage to Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”. “Naked in New York City” is as unadorned as the title suggests, an area where Healy has always excelled. However, Travis always risk being too sentimental, such as on “Live It All Again”, which is a fine song but brings down the mood early on, at the exact moment when it should be lifted up.
L.A. Times is a largely uneven effort, with some quality moments but many more that are a conundrum. Even if Healy could convey strong feelings in places, some of the themes come across as sappy, petty, or just bitter, which brings into question just how much he really had to share. It is worth acknowledging that Travis take more risks than we have seen in over a decade. Hopefully, they can use this record as a springboard to bring their music back into the conversation and finally move beyond the narrative that they could have been something big.