12 Memories [Limited Edition]

Travis: Neil Primrose, Douglas Payne, Andy Dunlop, Francis Healy.
Additional personnel: Sarah Wilson (cello); Red Dog, Amby (background vocals); Celtic Football Club.
Producers: Travis, Steve Orchard, Tchad Blake.
In the Brit-pop world, Travis has contentedly played the role of well-behaved lads to the cockier Oasis and brasher Blur. Due to the cumulative aftereffects of 9/11 and a more personal tragedy that almost found drummer Neil Primrose paralyzed from a near-fatal dive into a pool, 12 MEMORIES finds this Scottish quartet no longer content to remain prim and proper. Singer and the group's songwriter Fran Healy not only points his attention at the foreign policy of the British and American governments within the sing-songy cadence of "The Beautiful Occupation," but also addresses abuse once heaped on his own mother with the gorgeously rendered "Re-Offender." One of the most political missives is "Peace the F*** Out," an echo-laden number goosed along by fuzz guitar and ending with a chant of the song's title by supporters of the Celtic Football Club and Fulham F.C. All is not doom and gloom, though, and despite the negatives that inspired Healy to write, he still manages to come up with a sweet declaration of optimism within the soaring "Love Will Come Through," which could be a Nick Drake outtake if the late singer were on antidepressants.