Search - Travis :: Ode to J. Smith

Ode to a Great Album

Coheteboy | Los Angeles | 01/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like most TRAVIS fans, I came in during the time of Good Feeling and The Man Who -- those two albums quite literally opened my eyes as I found the music and the band I've been craving.



The weird thing about "Ode to J. Smith" was that it didn't strike me as a TRAVIS album at first. Each album prior, even '12 Memories', was met with one listen being enough to say "yes, this is Travis and I love this band." "Ode to J.Smith" didn't do that for me. I had initial disappointments and said flat out that this was more or less the same, but just not as good.



But that said, the songs haunted me when they weren't being played. My ears were telling me to put that album back on again and really, I couldn't stop playing the record for days. It is indeed a fantastic album that is different but somehow familiar. You cannot simply say that this album is like "The Man Who" or "The Invisible Band" or "The Boy With No Name". It has a sound of its own and it shows that the band is trying new things, which is a great sign of longevity. If I had to put a label on this one, I would say that it's like they were at "12 Memories" and kept building upon that.



There may not be your iconic Travis ballad here but what you have are songs that are musically more rich, instrumentally more vibrant, and lyrics that are more meaningful. "Ode to J. Smith" is just an extension of the incredible library they've provided so far and if it all ends here, I'd think that they ended right before they hit their highest level. I can't wait to hear what else this band has in store for us because I know it's going to be their best work."

A Really Good Album

Ju@n | Orange County | 02/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a really good Travis album it's a big change from there previous albums its very hard not a lot slow ballads but its a really good album all the songs are great on this album it sounds like they really let loose in this album which is rare now a days. Like most bands that try to switch there sound and they end up with a crap album this is one band that proves that they can do anything. I highly recommend this album"