In 1999, as my own love life was transitioning from one heartbreak to the next, The Man Who by Scottish four piece Travis was the most important and most listened to album in my life. It got me through a very weird and sometimes wonderful year in Harrogate and the beginning of the best year of my life in Edinburgh, around the Millenium. Of course, the anthemic Why Does it Always Rain on Me? was the cornerstone – it followed me around and was heard playing at the most appropriate times, both drunk and sober. Follow that up with Sing, my tune of choice the following Summer, and you could say I had a lot of time for this band – especially as I was discovering my own inner Scot in 2000.
They were a lot bigger of a deal than maybe people remember now, some 20 years later. They were well respected and reliable for a good tune. They were also fun! A highlight for me was meeting them (as their waiter, granted) at the Balmoral Hotel in 2001, when I spilt Guinness all over Fran Healey’s mum’s dress! And he laughed it off with his trademark lightness and cheeky grin. They looked destined to be a big band for years to come, even doing pretty well in the states, which is no given for a wee outfit peppering the UK with top 10 hits of a very British style and humour. However, an incident in 2002, when their drummer Dougie broke his neck diving into the shallow end of a swimming pool changed their path forever.
Instead of striding on and conquering the World, they became introspective and small, happy just to be around at all. The tunes also suffered for some reason and from the time of their 4th studio album The Boy With No Name, they were producing work that was merely fine at best, but nothing containing their early spark by any means. They survived as a footnote then for almost two decades and four more lacklustre albums. And then, in 2020, their years in the wilderness of uncool seemed to have sublimed into a maturity and grace, with the release of the charming melancholy genius of 10 Songs. It was an unexpected but welcome comeback for me in the times of peak lockdown during the Covid19 pandemic.
10 Songs is a breakdown and break-up album, full of wistful regret and introspection, but with a heavenly enlightenment behind it. There is no anger, only sadness tinged with a beauty that reflects the nature of being alive and reaching a middle age outlook. Fran Healey has always had a knack for a great hook and some nicely put together lyrics, and here he goes from song to song without monotony, hitting all the right notes. It is not a world shaking album, by any means, but it is an album you can listen to from start to finish and say with honesty, “I liked that. That was pretty good.” And at only 33 minutes start to finish it is unlikely to bore or offend in any way.
Waving at the Window is a strong start; a sentiment easy for anyone over 40 to empathise with, well expressed. Then comes a lovely guest appearance from Susanna Hoffs, formerly of The Bangles fame, on The Only Thing, a very sing-alongable ditty, with two contrasting pop voices in perfect harmony. Then a bit of a punk turn with the deliberately discordant Valentine, which will appeal to anyone looking beyond the mainstream predictability that is Travis’ Achilles heel. It wouldn’t be out of place as the background tune during an edgy scene of some cool TV series. Butterflies and A Million Hearts are also perfectly catchy, completing the first half of the album at a plateau that sets up the better second half expertly.
For me, songs 6-9 are the best 4 tunes on display here. A Ghost is a near faultless pop song, unconventional yet very familiar, with a bounding chorus. But then the cherry of the piece – All Fall Down, which will surely be counted as one of Healey’s greatest achievements when all is said and done. Its beauty raises the hairs on my arms – a delicacy and fragility that almost disappears when you approach it. The ache in his falsetto is without a doubt haunting. Kissing in the Wind is another tune of fine construction, building and resonating into a wonderful chorus. Track 9, Nina’s Song is deceptively sweet and naive. I have a personal relationship to this one, as I associate its very apt lyrics with someone called Nina… and what can connect you to a song more than that. I wouldn’t say it ends on an anti-climax, because I like No Love Lost, but I feel after the previous four beauties it is a weaker ending than ideal.
Look, 10 Songs is never gonna make a best album of the year list – their time has gone. I can’t help think though that if this was released in 2002 rather than 2020 it would have been a huge, multi-platinum hit like The Man Who? It may even be a better album on the whole than their greatest commercial success. Critically it was applauded, but not raved about. Which is about right, I think. I am so happy they did it and found some comeback into the limelight eventually. And who knows what might come next as Healy and the boys continue to mature? I never expected ever again to listen to a Travis album more than once without dismissing it, and I am so pleased to be wrong.
Rating 7.5/10
The Wasteland 