12 Memories

by Travis

Overview

As much heat as the group received for The Invisible Band not matching the charm of The Man Who, Travis is still a good pop band. To imagine a world without them and their lovely and amusing songs would be a sad thing. In fact, their fourth album, 12 Memories, might never have been if drummer Neil Primrose hadn't survived a tragic dive while vacationing in France in summer 2002. Primrose sustained a spinal injury in a pool accident; thankfully the odds of a recovery were good, and Primrose went through surgery without any complications. 12 Memories is a dark reflection of that time, not to mention a heavy soundscape looking at violence as a whole that stems from a post-September 11th way of life. 12 Memories is their most mature, most explicit, and most somber album, and fans looking for Travis to resort back to the blazing riffs of "All I Wanna Do Is Rock" obviously didn't come of age with the band as they should have. The world's a fragile place, and Healy wants to talk about it. He's on his soapbox and instead of pointing a finger in disgust, he and Travis craft beautiful melodies that do just as much damage. From slagging off a media-obsessed America and its political regime on the jaunty, new wave-tinged "The Beautiful Occupation" to the soft piano-pounce of "How Many Hearts," 12 Memories flows without any preconceptions of what Travis released previously. They really don't care. What they care about is love and spreading it through song. Healy's look back at his mum's spousal abuse on "Re-Offender" finds Travis maintaining a sweet, basic rock sound and hitting you hard in the face. If you're able to appreciate the pleasure and point they bring as a whole, 12 Memories will be a fine listen. If you're hoping they took the Coldplay route, you're in the wrong place. ~ MacKenzie Wilson

Product Details

Release Date:	08/13/2021
Label:	Concord / Craft Records
UPC:	0888072159419
Rank:	105696

Tracks

1. Quicksand
2. The Beautiful Occupation
3. Re-offender
4. Peace The Fuck Out
5. How Many Hearts
6. Paperclips
7. Somewhere Else
8. Love Will Come Through
9. Mid-life Krysis
10. Happy To Hang Around
11. Walking Down The Hill
12. Some Sad Song

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Travis   Primary Artist
Natalia Bonner   Violin
Thomas Bowes   Violin
Sara Wilson   Cello
Joby Talbot   Conductor
Adrian Smith   Viola
Richard George   Violin
Chris Worsey   Cello
Lucy Shaw   Double Bass
Jenny King   Violin
Darragh Morgan   Violin
Catherine Browning   Violin
Ian Burdge   Cello
Giles Broadbent   Violin
Stephen Hussey   Violin
Gillon Cameron   Violin
Zoe Martlew   Cello
Marcus Barcham-Stevens   Violin
Ruth Williams   Violin
Millennia Strings   Strings
James Pullman   Viola
Frances Dewar   Violin
Susie Hug   Vocals (Background)
Red Dog   Vocals
Reiad Chibah   Viola
Jenny Sacha   Violin
Ralph Broadbent   Violin

Technical Credits

Travis   Design,Producer
Tchad Blake   Mixing,Producer
Steve Orchard   Engineer,Producer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Joby Talbot   String Arrangements
Claire Lewis   Assistant Engineer
Anton Corbijn   Photography
Les Scott   Artist Coordination
Andy MacDonald   A&R
Fran Healy   Composer
Francis Healy   Composer