Rising without a trace, Travis have pulled off the impressive feat of selling millions of albums without ever revealing much charisma or personality. There’s no denying the chiming beauty of “Writing To Reach You” or “Driftwood”, as Fran Healy shifts through the gears from honeyed whine to choirboy falsetto. But equally. Travis have settled for a placidity which renders even the sole new track, “Walking In The Sun”, pleasant but forgettable. Meanwhile the pleasingly weird swellings and gradients of their 1997 debut hit “All I Wanna Do Is Rock” feels like a stand-out anomaly in these overly manicured surroundings.
STEPHEN DALTON
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