Invisible Men

Intelligent, evocative lyrics complement the soft strains of guitar and banjo in this follow-up album.

Following on the success of their last album, "The Man Who", Scottish pop quartet Travis is back with an album that promises to meet their audience's high expectations. Backed by lead singer Fran Healy's intelligent, evocative lyrics, the soft strains of guitar and banjo mix perfectly in this very listenable third album.

Perhaps my favourites on this album are the banjo-laden rhythms of "Sing" and the Alince-in-Wonderland lyrics of "The Humpty Dumpty Love Song", illustrative as they are of this group's ability to create music that grabs and holds your attention. Also worth checking out are "Flowers In The Window", a strummy love song; the slightly-dark "Pipe Dreams"; and the thoughtful "Side".

The songs are slow, even sleepy at times, but don't be fooled - Healy's a natural songwriter, and his lyrics have a freshness and curiosity all their own. Enhanced by the band's strong ensemble performance and unusual music instruments, "The Invisible Band" ensures that Travis isn't likely to stay invisible for long!

This article was first published on04 Aug 2001.