Travis ★★★
LA Times
BMG. CD/DL/LP
Letter from America: tenth album from enduring Scottish band.
It’s been 28 years since Travis released debut single All I Want To Do Is Rock and while time has naturally tempered that initial show of exuberance, they have never really fallen out of step with their self-declared calling. LA Times, their first album since 2020’s 10 Songs, shows their gift for singalong melancholy remains undimmed. Fran Healy, always fluent in hope and sadness, lets his voice pool eloquently through these songs, a hazy shade of winter seeping through Bus, Alive turning into a folk rock I Will Survive. The title track, inspired by the singer’s experiences in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles, goes a little bit We Didn’t Start The Fire, but like Gaslight and irreverent old-school protest song I Hope That You Spontaneously Combust, it does emphasise that Travis always had some side to them. It’s unlikely to set anything alight, but LA Times still leaves a warm glow.