Travis
Coming Around
Independiente

A brand new single from the Scottish pop lads and the Kings of Britain 1999/2000. Their last album, The Man Who, has sold over 2 million copies in the UK alone, and is still selling by thousands every week. Coming Around - originally recorded as a "b-side" just before The Man Who was put out - is released as 2 CD singles, and includes two more songs by front man Fran Healy, one written by bass player Dougie Payne, as well as a cover song.

Coming Around is a perfect summer song, a cheerful tune with the trademark Travis-tristesse, jangly guitars and fine harmonies. 60's inspired, surely, maybe not so Byrds-like, but more related to fellow Scotsmen Teenage Fanclub's modern retrospectivity. Definitely a hit. The Connection is a slow-rolling piece, a bit on the smooth (and too anonymous) side, while Rock 'n' (Salad) Roll is more of a noisy, "stupid" rock song. Sounding like a song to fill up a CD single with, and quite forgettable I'm afraid.

Payne's contribution, Just The Faces Change, is a quiet, acoustic and drumless ballad. Fine but no eye-brows raised. The Band's The Weight is doing well in the hands of Travis, as the folky country ballad it is, but I guess it's funnier to hear Travis take on cover songs from a stage. Nevertheless, with Coming Around summer is set.

Copyright © 2000 Håvard Oppøyen