Review - "L.A. Times" by Travis
Returning with a surprisingly satisfying tenth record, Travis reminds us of the strengths that got them in the spotlight in the first place.
“Make no mistake, I.C.U, paging Mr. No Can Do, poison on an IV drip,
Fourteen years so sick of it, I’ve finally given you the slip…”
I have a long list of albums released this year that I am planning to listen to and, eventually, review. In fact, as I write this, I’m sitting on several albums I’ve listened to but have not yet reviewed. Sometimes, however, an album will drop out of the blue that will end up grabbing my attention and cutting the line to be the next one I write about. Travis’ tenth studio album, L.A. Times, happened to be one of these albums.
In fact, I didn’t really think all that much about this release when it was first announced, but it showed up in Spotify as a recommendation the day after it dropped, so I figured I’d put it on right then and there. You see, Travis was one my favorite bands for about a year after I graduated high school. I had known about them for a long time because I was dedicated, die-hard Coldplay fan, and Travis is listed as one of Coldplay’s major early influences. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon one of Travis’ CD’s at a local record store that I decided to give them a listen. Within a month of that date, I would end up getting my hands on a physical copy of all seven of their albums that had been released up to that point. Of course, as time passes, tastes change, and Travis fell far into the background for me. I rarely listen to the band these days, but will always appreciate the strength of their early work and how they were one of biggest acts to pave the way for the mellow alt-rock sensibilities of post-Britpop, a short-lived scene which Coldplay went on to become the leading act for before transforming into the pop-rock powerhouse they are today.
Travis always holds an interesting place for me because they lay at the roots - embedded deep in the foundation - of my music tastes. The problem, unfortunately, is that Travis has never been a band to push the envelope or experiment much, leaving me as a listener with little to keep me hooked. Over time, I grew somewhat complacent to their charming albeit vanilla sound, especially on their eighth and ninth releases Everything At Once and 10 Songs which are solid works, but pose little to challenge their listeners. It’s from this background that L.A. Times caught me by surprise. It’s no groundbreaking, earth-shattering record to write home about, but it gives way to a deeper variety than Travis has done in many years, making it a welcome record, almost a return-to-form even, calling back some of their earlier efforts (which is where their strength truly lies).
L.A. Times only runs at half-an-hour in length, but it offers a lot within that small window of time. And therein lies its charm. Opening with “Bus,” Travis demonstrates (almost perfectly) how vanilla the band is, following much of what they’ve done for years upon years, but this quickly gives way to something more fun with tracks like “Alive” and “I Hope That You Spontaneously Combust,” both of which call back the darker melancholy of 2003’s 12 Memories. It’s a nice break from the pleasant platitudes which permeate most of Travis’ recent work. There’s also “Home,” which feels much more open and playful than I’m accustomed to from the band who has recently been more quiet and polite than anything else. Even “Naked in New York City” which is a quiet and polite track feels somehow more memorable than anything else from Travis in recent years. The key track that sells the record, however, is the title track which closes the album. “L.A. Times” is by far one of the darkest tracks I’ve heard from Travis since 1999’s The Man Who which closes with “Blue Flashing Light,” a hidden and very angry track about domestic abuse. “L.A. Times,” as a track, is a direct reflection on the doom-scrolling culture we find ourselves swimming in today. It’s a dark and angry track, and it feels more raw than anything Travis has done in a very, very long time. And to top it all off, it acts as the perfect closer for a consistent and solid album.
L.A. Times may not top my end of year list, but its served as a powerful reminder of what this band once meant to me. And it’s fascinating to see an act that was once a huge deal still consistently putting out solid work years down the road. Ten albums in and they still have it. Above all else, L.A. Times is an incredibly unassuming record. And maybe Travis’ refusal to assert themselves with their work is what makes them so great.
Overall Rating: 7.3/10
Top Tracks:
- Gaslight
- Home
- L.A. Times
Listen to this album if you like:
- Early Coldplay
- Late night drives on empty streets
- Quiet and polite Scottish bands that sometimes don’t wanna be polite