Posted on March 3, 2010 - by Dave Cruttenden

Travis – Ode To J. Smith

Travis‘  latest album, Ode To J. Smith, released in September 2008,  is an album that deserves a lot more attention than it got at the time of release.  From the moment that I caught them live performing the whole album in full at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth in February 2008, I knew that it should be regarded as a classic like their 1999 album The Man Who.

Sadly, now being on their own independent record label, Red Telephone Box Records, and changing fashions in music (for the worse), they have been overlooked.  Hopefully more people will give it another chance to shine.  The whole album was recorded in just 2 weeks thanks to Dougie’s actress wife having a baby.

First off, Ode To J. Smith is not a concept album.  No, according to lead singer Fran Healy, it is rather the story of a man called J. Smith shortly before he dies.  From the stunning visual impact of the album cover (Taken from a Roald Dahl book cover), Travis’ intent to get back to their roots of playing indie rock is much in evidence here, and surely hard to ignore.

Chinese Blues, is a real rocker that immediately grabs your attention, and is the perfect start to this album.  The drums and guitar are immense, Fran’s vocals are top notch, and it flows perfectly into the great… J. Smith. The first song released from the album on a 1,000 only copy EP, it was the song that inspired the rest of the whole album, and which it was built around.  It’s the story of J. drowning in the bath after dropping the radio in it – “The radio’s in the bath, yeah yeah, yeah!” – It’s Travis’ most prog rock song yet, and there is definitely an influence of Muse in there somewhere. It is a brilliant song live, and the latin chorus just adds to the effect of the song.

Something Anything was the official 1st single from the album.  Although it wouldn’t have been my choice, it’s still a very good example of how well Travis can rock.  Long Way Down is insanely catchy, a toe-tapper, and in the end totally rocking out. You get the feeling that you are staring over a very tall building, and falling over the edge when listening to it. Very raw, but very good.  Listen to the lyrics, they are very clever, and Fran’s primal roar is amazing!

Broken Mirror is next, a moody, broody little number that is full of atmosphere and self-loathing.  It does need a few listens to get used to it, but once you do, it totally gets under your skin.  The great strings and awesome Andy Dunlop’s ‘rooster’ guitar wake-up call riff really makes Last Words a highlight, with Dougie and Fran’s combined lyrics.  It’s got a nice flow to it this one and has a great rythmic beat.

Quite Free really makes you shiver with excitement, it’s such a great little song, that explodes and shimmers into your ears with beauty when turned up loud.  This should have been a single I think instead of Something Anything, it’s a great example of Travis being excellent musicians and writing top notch lyrics.  It’s quite outstanding, and deserves to be heard, not hidden away on an album.

“You gotta get up!, you gotta get up!…” - The perfect wake-up song is Get Up, another song very full in rythym, if a little repetitive for some. It’s a call to arms to realise that you’ve got to “wake up to the situation”. The next song, Friends, is a sweet song about true friendship.  This was the first song from the album that anyone heard, as Fran posted the lyrics on the Travis website and fans from all over the world made their own versions with interesting outcomes without hearing a studio version, all available if you search on youtube.

“Do you see the light, tell me do you see the light?” – The second and last single off of the album, Song To Self, available as a download single only,  is amazing.  It is the imagined story of J.’s suicide note to his girlfriend.  “By the time you hear this I’ll be gone…” – It’s sad, and yet totally triumphant at the same time as rocking, and becomes one of the strongest and best songs on the album.  One of the best, because the final song truly is the very best…

Before You Were Young, or the ‘gong song’ as it’s become known with fans, is quite simply an anthem. “In the days before you were young, we used to sit in the morning sun, we used to turn the radio on, what happened?” – It is a very sweet song, with beautiful emotive lyrics of the imagined story of J. Smith as a ghost talking to his unborn child as a ghost.  Strong stuff, if only he hadn’t drowned in the bath…  Think big, widescreen, loud crashing drums, passionate Fran vocals, with a touch of The Killers thrown in too.  Oh, a big amazing gong too.  It is beautiful, and should be heard by a wider audience.  It had the potential to be a massive hit if it was released as a single .  It is amazing performed live, “I love you , I love you, I love you!”

I urge you to check out this awesome forgotten about gem of an album.  You won’t regret it that you did, promise.  Also, Travis fans, keep an eye on Fran Healy’s website, he’s releasing a solo album called “Wreckorder” later this year, and keeping fans updated on it’s progress via blog.  One track includes Paul McCartney on bass.  Don’t worry, he’s just on holiday, as the song goes…

Travis – Before You Were Young (My personal favourite!) 10/10

Buy at Amazon

From the first night I heard this album at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth in February 2008, these songs have been in my head.  It was so good live, shortly followed by the more familiar older Travis songs. I’ll leave you for now with the best song on the album in my own personal opinion, Before You Were Young, performed the first time i heard it, thanks to our dear friend Mr. YouTube:-

Let it ring on...

• Fran Healy – Buttercups (0)
• Oh, Mountain: they cut down his backyard! (0)
• Isn’t him Funny? Meet John from 1990′s (0)
• Back To Talulah – They’ve Scoffed The Lot Reviewed (0)
• Partybenders (0)