Travis

Ode To J. Smith

[4/5]

For multiple reasons (they wanted to record like the Beatles; a band member had a baby on the way; they wanted to recapture that youthful rush), Scottish quartet Travis decided to write their sixth studio album on electric guitars, record the whole thing in a scant two weeks and then release it themselves. The mid-life crisis suits ’em well, though: Guitars crackle on the Weezer-meets-Muse riffing of “Something Anything.” “Long Way Down” is a shot of jangle-pop reminiscent of their debut, and even epic balladry such as “Before You Were Young” remains fairly grounded. The band flex all of their muscles from a decade-plus of experience-melancholy pub-pop, strings, a bit of banjo-without hesitation and, more importantly, without overdoing it. (RED TELEPHONE BOX) JR Griffin