First, a word about the star number. There is a fair bit of "grade inflation" on most websites. In my opinion, a four star album would be something like The Joshua Tree and five stars would be reserved for albums like the Beatles' Revolver or The White Album. So three stars is, in my ratings universe, an excellent album.

The new Travis album, 12 Memories, is a 3.5 star effort. The songs are "darker" than their previous releases, but it's all relative: they are still very poppy even when the subject matter is "deeper." That said, the album opens with three midtempo songs ("Quicksand," "Beautiful Occupation," and "Re-Offender") all of which have great melodies with hummable choruses. Neil's drumming is Ringo-esque; simple and effective. The next three tracks ("Peace the F*** Out," "How Many Hearts," and "Paperclips") are the weakest on the album. They kind of muddle along.

The album really hits it's stride with the seventh track "Somewhere Else." It's pretty ditty with elegant chimes linking the rhythm to Fran's singing melody. The song, according to the Travis website, is about having life change when you aren't even paying attention. Fair enough. It's pretty pop perfect.

The remainder of the album is all catchy ("Love Will Come Through" and "Mid-Life Krysis" being excellent). They are very close to previous Travis work. Like all of Travis's previous songs, you will find yourself singing along to the best of them.

The album closes with "Walking Down The Hill," a song that is Fran's spare "stream of unconsciousness" singing over a keyboard melody. It comes off as a great example of minimalism and eloquence. Fran sings in a lilting voice, "We're apart/go to pieces" making dime store lyrics into diamonds. It's that good.

The "bonus track" (the 12th memory, so to speak) is buried in the last track, so you have to listen through two minutes of silence to get to it. It's a sweeping and melodramatic tune called "Sad Song." I can take it or leave it, though it is starting to grow on me.

All in all, this album is absolutely worth owning. I saw Travis live in the Beacon Theater last night, and the album plays even better live.

Each song gets better and better everytime I listen to this album, the lyrics are solid, the harmony rocks, and the way the music was composed is brilliant. I would agree that it isn't like their previous albums...but it is still a very solid mature transition they have made, in my 28 yrs I have a good idea of what is quality and this is as good as it gets.

You can't not feel the music and the mood of each song...close your eyes and you are taken in to the music.....Re-Offender is an amazing song, it is a song that I think most people could relate with....Peace The F** Out is so damn catchy, you will be singing this one....Love Will Come Through is along the lines of Flowers in the Window...a beautiful song that I am certain will be a huge hit....Same Sad Song just gives me goosebumps listening to it....Travis continues to improve and I am so thankful that they got me hooked with their music years ago when I saw them live in NYC!

Travis takes a sharp left turn in "12 Memories," a controversial evolution in the Brit-pop band's sound. It's more cynical, more sharply melancholy, more political, and experiments with their sound. While it may turn off people expecting a sunny listen, it makes up for its shortcomings with its beautiful writing and instrumentation.

It kicks off with the mournfully catchy "Quicksand," political pop-rocker "Beautiful Occupation," and the vague, quiet "Reoffender." After the rousing "Peace the F*ck Out," they take a slightly different turn with the depressingly upbeat "How Many Hearts," the eerie "Paperclips," and the catchy but confusing "Somewhere Else." The end takes a wild seesaw between the melancholy "Some Sad Song" and the prettier, lighter "Walking Down the Hill" and "Happy To Hang Around."

The political Britpop of "12 Memories" gives a vaguely Beatles-esque feel to the album. Okay, it's not "All You Need is Love," but the darker, frustrated feelings in "12 Memories" are more in tune with the times. Then, apparently having gotten their soapboxing out of their system, Travis focuses on the lonely, chilly ballads and pop-rockers.

Fran Healy's low, rough-edged voice is well-suited to the melancholy music. And that music takes a newer, more experimental edge here, like the build-up of swirling sound in "Mid-Life Krysis" or the meandering, swelling, surreal lament or the tinkling soundscapes of the penultimate track. It adds to the moodiness, and gives the feeling that Travis is growing and changing.

And the political themes may rub some listeners the wrong way, but they remain as explicit as they can be without naming names. Some songs, like "Somewhere Else" and "Mid-Life Krysis," have lyrics that are confusing at best. But overall the writing is quite solid, and Healy's voice brings to life lines like the plaintive "Hopelessly hoping our plan will wake up/Hoping it all will be fine."

"12 Memories" takes Travis to a more cynical, gloomier place, but the chilly, twilight beauty of the British pop-rock is undeniable. Not the best they have done, but certainly intriguing.

Wrote a review just yesterday stressing my disappointment with this CD. Well, after several listens today while driving I have found the beauty within this CD...Quicksand grows on you, Re-Offender is impossible not to sing along to, Beautiful Occupation is just amazing the more listens, and, Happy To Hang Around is my favorite track. Yes, the lyrics have strayed from their norm on some songs, and, yes, the voice sounds a bit different and somewhat Tim Booth-ish (James) on some tracks...still an amazing voice. Just incredible! Rather than Sing, Sing Sing...my advice would be Listen, Listen, Listen and soon you'll be singing along.

Travis's newest album, I feel, is their best. Though some fans would disagree, and though a few of the songs on the album are less than stand-out tracks, the album as a whole marks a new and better sound/direction for the band. Allow me to give my thoughts on the individual tracks:

1. Quicksand: (*****) - The music on this begins with piano way up front, with guitar providing a rhythmic groove punctuated by Beatlesque drum playing. The lyrics are beautifully written and sung, and the chorus has a wonderful sink-sink-sinking drone that fits the song perfectly. This could easily be a hit single.

2. The Beautiful Occupation: (*****) - Though the political overtone of this song originally turned me off a bit, the music and melody kept bringing me back to it. Now it is one of my favorites on the album. This track has a marvelous Rolling Stones feel to it, and the guitars are much more prominent.

3. Re-Offender: (*****) - This ditty starts with a drum beat that is reminiscent of old Beck; then once the first chorus erupts, orchestration give a rich sound to the music and the drums/guitar/bass bloom into a light and soaring groove that blends well with the Neal Young-like crooning. Another outstanding track.

4. Peace the F&@# Out: (****) - The band returns to the Rolling Stones inspired music in this track. This fits the political tinge of the song itself. At first, I was turned off by the overt anti-war statement of the song...but what would music inspired by a peacenik era be without songs about peace? Ha--the music is great, but the track is too short.

5. How Many Hearts: (***) - The band seems to lose some steam on this track. It just meanders about most the time; though the chorus, which is most beautiful, nearly redeems itself.

6. Paperclips: (**) - My least favorite song on the album. This track is lifeless moaning that just doesn't suit my fancy. Decent background music, nothing more.

7. Somewhere Else: (******) - The album surges back to life on what is most certainly the best song on it. This song is just about the best song I've heard in recent memory. It has a great piano/bell accompanyment with light acoustic guitar and groovy drum-beat and bass-line. This is THE standout track on the album and ought to be a heavily promoted single.

8. Love Will Come Through: (*****) - The breath of life given by the previous track is continued on this ode. I especially like the mandolin/dulcimer sound that defines the primary lead.

9. Mid-Life Krysis: (****) - While this song is not the best on the album, and has a particularly weak chorus...the sitar and "Losing My Religion" mandolin sound are enough to hold my interest.

10. Happy To Hang Around: (*****) - I feel that this song is possibly the second best on the album. I especially love the Turtles-like feel of the song (not so much the music as the melody). The music is again akin to a blend of Beatles and R.E.M. This could also be a hit single.

11. Walking Down the Hill: (****) - The drums on this remind me of Radiohead, but that's where the similarity ends. The piano and keyboard slightly hint at possible inspiration by Tubular Bells era Oldfield. Despite the slow droning sound, the difference in sound is enough to pique my interest. Good track.

I'll reserve judgement on the bonus track because I have not listened to it enough. The rhyming on it gets on my nerves and I skip it every time.

There you have it. An album that isn't perfect, but which has some absolutely wonderful tracks that more than qualifies it as a classic, and possibly as Travis's best album.