Travis
10 Songs

Four years have passed since the previous "Everything At Once," and Travis are back in action with this new "10 Songs."

The main novelty is the return of Fran Healy, the leader and frontman, as the sole songwriter: something that hasn't happened since the beautiful "12 Memories," released a full seventeen years ago. There's also a new co-producer, already used to working with bands with more than an affinity for soft rock (Kings of Leon, Florence & The Machine, Mumford & Sons, Coldplay).

This new work was born under the banner of simplicity, starting from the title, and with the pen once again firmly in Healy's hands, musically the atmospheres return to those of the more "classic" Travis, that is, more tied to the post-britpop that launched them (starting with that immortal masterpiece that was "The Man Who," passing through records like "The Invisible Band" and the same "12 Memories").

Almost all the vaguely alt-rock ambitions present in some episodes of the recent albums have disappeared, and the Scottish quartet comes together to create a very cohesive album, almost entirely composed of ballads with ever-changing and diverse nuances. It starts with the pop-rock of the splendid "Waving At The Window" (which somewhat reminds of The National in the rhythmic part), and then continues with the delightful country touches of "The Only Thing," enriched by the exquisite collaboration with Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles. "Valentine," on the other hand, surprises sharply with a decisive rock that even goes so far as to recover the rock roots of the debut "Good Feeling," giving it a fresh coat of Oasis.

The hit "A Ghost" rhythmically ups the ante (with Neil Primrose on top form), while the first extract "Kissing In The Wind" lowers it back into a typically Travis-style ballad. You have to reach the penultimate track to find the best song on the album, the splendid "Nina's Song" (with a melodic construction that borders on perfection). "A Million Hearts," on the other hand, veers towards more classic britpop and unleashes inevitable Beatles-esque inflections.

Travis returns to what they do best, and it is no coincidence that they deliver their best album in seventeen years.

Best track: Nina's Song