Travis - the boy with no name

Travis after nearly 4 years has returned with their fifth studio album "The Boy with No Name". The record consists of all the usual catchy guitar riffs, multiple string arrangements and poignant song-writing from Scotland's finest.

A far cry from their previously haunting "12 melodies", which got heavy criticism for not being part of the usual uplifting Travis melodies we've been accustomed to. I thought it was harsh as every band/artist is allowed time to experiment, explore and evolve. Their live performance was enthralling at that time and I'm sure it would be red-hot even now.

In any case, "The Boy with No Name" is evidence that Travis has passed that phase and returned to their upbeat best. Here's my interpretation of each track.

Starting with "3 Times and you lose" which is, in my opinion, not an ideal first track but is a Travis original. Strings in abundance reminiscent of "Sing". Fran Healy's smooth vocals fit in harmoniously.

"Selfish Jean" which should have been Track #1 is a definite high tempo catch-on number that would appeal to the masses. The stanza reminds me of The Cars in their heyday. It also reminds me of the 80's hit Katrina and the waves' "Walking on Sunshine" - the timing and meter are so similar, if not the same. Travis, in this song, experiment and kudos to them pulling it off. Not surprisingly, their second single to be released.

"Closer", the first single to be released off the album didn't appeal to me first but with like most Travis melodies, stuck in my head and is a gem. If you've not seen the video, go ahead and have a peep. You'll spot a certain someone called Ben Stiller amongst the cast. It's a silky smooth, feel-good track.

"Big Chair", my favourite for a while now, starts with a bassline more familiar to a Linkin Park intro. This is one of the darker tracks on the album. Punctuated with piano, characterized with Primrose's percussions, violin accompaniments, Healy at the forefront and subtle mixes and production and you have a wonderful product. Again, Travis push themselves out of their comfort zone and come out trumps.

Then comes the strong middle section starting with "Battleships". No shortage of melody here, Fran raises his game - and his tone admirably. Melodically, more comfortable territory for the band. Guest vocalist Julia Stone provides a cameo.

"Eyes Wide Open", another favourite of mine. First few seconds remind me of "Side" (Invisible Band) - the electric guitar in the same key and the one-beat drum beat. Catchy guitar riffs, Healy's vocal variation - a highlight for him. The chorus is brilliant with various instruments thrown into the mix but not in an obtrusive way. Lyrics are easy to memorize and sing along to. This track, like "Big Chair", is an example of experimentation gone right.

Track #7, "My Eyes" is another feel-good track and an obvious reference to Fran Healy's first new-born, Clay - a boy with no name for the first few weeks of his life (also the album title in case you hadn't noticed). Trademark guitar riffs, piano accompaniment, gorgeous melody and lyrics. The chorus is beautiful and Healy proclaims honestly: "Ya ya ya, you got my eyes. And we can't see what you'll be. You can't disguise. But either way I will pray you will be wise. Pretty soon you will see tears in my eyes". Yup, I'm pretty sure Clay will appreciate this first song about him.

The rest of the album is not of the high standard as the first 7 tracks but is worth a mention.
"One night" is sweet and filled with hope and candour. Yes, surely you can't undo your mistakes but each new day is also a chance to start fresh.

"Under the moonlight" is very un-Travis in some ways. They sound like an American pop-band eagerly trying to impress teenage radio listeners. However, it has a cute melody and a message to folks in love. The highlight here is KT Tunstall's background vocals in the chorus. Not a Travis classic for the form and production are derivative.

"Out in Space" is a typical end-of-album track. It's slow, light on arrangement but has a more-than-usual chorus. An explosive bang in one channel accompanies Healy's "out in space." Worth noting a trademark Travis bridge section in minor key as well before the end of the track (a la "Last laugh of the Laughter" from The Man Who).

"Colder" starts off neat and clean. The chorus is very lively and filled with interesting pieces of instrumentation and arrangement. Subtleties are a definite plus point here. Distorted guitars, synthesizers and harmonicas also make an impression.

Last track, "New Amsterdam" is a simple acoustic track with occasional piano and police sirens! Not a bad way to end.

Oh wait, after 3 minutes of silence, there's a bonus track! I'll call it "the song with no name". A trademark Travis track with the riffs and melodies. Definite influence of "the Beatles" present in this track.

With all the comparisons made to fellow Brit-poppers, Coldplay and Keane, Travis deserve their own niche and a right to be up there with Britain's most recognized artists. After all, they spawned the introduction of Coldplay, Keane and Snow Patrol. Somehow Travis has not been held in the same esteem, but I'm sure they couldn't care less. Enjoyment in making music is paramount on their agenda. That the latest record is a blend of tried-and-tested and experiments is testament to their growth in the last 10 years.

Rating 8.5/10 - a must for Travis fans and a good place to start for upcoming Travis fans.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra (performing works by Mozart and Tchaikovsky)

Repertoire Performed

Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622 W.A. Mozart

Allegro (1756-1791)
Adagio
Rondo: Allegro

“Innocent Ear”

Symphony No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 13, Winter Daydreams P.I. Tchaikovsky
Allegro tranquillo (1840-1893)
Adagio cantabile ma non tanto
Scherzo: Allegro scherzando giocoso
Finale: Andante lugubre – Allegro maetoso

Review:

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra performed at the Roy Thomson Hall at 7pm on Saturday, January the 19^th. The conductor, Peter Oundjian welcomed us and Joaquin Valdepeñas, the principal clarinetist.

Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. He showed precocious talent at a very young age, and his first symphony was played when he was only eight years old. Clarinet Concerto in A Major K.622 was his last major piece before his premature death in 1791. It was performed in three movements:

Allegro started off with just light strings and soft flutes, cleverly bringing the clarinetist into the forefront. Here, Valdepeñas took advantage of the opportunity by providing a good range of notes played in harmony with the orchestra. One got the feeling that it was played in duple-time; the melody was cheerful and performed at constant dynamics. Overall, the texture was very light with no piercing horns or drums to compromise the independence and character of the solo part.

Adagio provided a very sentimental, moving feel, the clarinet with its agonising, prolonged notes. Valdepeñas displayed rare skill in being able to sustain the notes tenuto for a lengthy period, using a technique very few wind musicians are capable of. It had a very touching, peaceful melody and continuous flowing rhythm with no apparent cadences.

Rondo: Allegro was refreshing, jaunty and screaming “Good Morning!” to the audience. It provided a tuneful melody accompanied with lots of imitation. Whenever the orchestra reached a crescendo, the spotlight was shifted to the clarinetist. It ended fittingly, with the whole orchestra including the clarinetist blending and complimenting each “voice” well.

Innocent Ear was a little test for the audience if we could identify the piece. Few people had problems when the conductor jokingly started off with “Happy Birthday”!

They proceeded to play a jazzy melody at a slowish pace. The cellos were playing pizzicato throughout this performance and were duple-meter most of the time. Once the clarinetist joined in, there was an air of mystery and this continued to build up blending in well with the main melody. Sadly though, I could not identify the piece.

After the brief intermission, the next piece was Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 13, Winter Daydreams. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Vyatka, Russia, May 7, 1840. He was a lifelong admirer of Mozart. Winter Daydreams was the first symphony he wrote, it was completed in its first version in 1866 but was later revised. It was constructed in four movements:

Allegro tranquillo started off with a gentle melody with flutes and bassoons over quiet violin tremolos. One got the feeling it was very dramatic, at times even sounding violent especially when it soared into crescendo and the horns and timpani came into the picture. The music was major and very rich in texture, one astounding revelation was the cool transition from heavy strings in minor, paving the way for a louder, quicker segment played by the horns and timpani in tandem.

Adagio cantabile ma non tanto was a very moving and sombre movement. The main theme was introduced by an oboe with ornate counterpoint from a flute, framed by sober music for the strings alone. Midway it swung into a beautiful waltz rhythm where the melody could be heard more than once. The horns which came in later created tension and set hearts racing.

Scherzo: Allegro scherzando giocoso started off with an accent in 1^st bar in triple-meter. In this movement, the texture was thicker than the previous two. After the very noticeable cadence, it livened up to a dancy tune with mostly the strings and then the woodwinds supporting them. There were also plenty of points of imitation involved when the bassoons carried the melody at a higher note relegating the strings to a backup role. This movement didn’t contain any brass, but the timpani made itself heard with a ten second solo, surrendering itself to the strings and wind instruments.

The finale, Andante lugubre – Allegro maestoso started with a sad but heavy intro, which served as the source from which both main themes of the subsequent Allegro are derived. The build-up was performed beautifully and it gradually became richer quickening the tempo and stronger dynamics. One could also observe numerous points of imitation. The horns played its role to perfection providing the much-needed crescendo at strategised points in the movement. This finale provided a tremendous, very dramatic climax to this piece, almost making it sound victorious.

Summary:

Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto was lighter, more delicate, concentrating more on melody than richness. On the other hand, Tchaikovsky’s provocative piece almost sacrificed melody for polyphony but used his resources skilfully.