For their 10th studio album, Glaswegian mainstays Travis worked with producer Tony Hoffer whose impressive resume includes Beck, Metric, and Belle & Sebastian. Bringing in famous friends, “Raze the Bar” is a catchy midtempo track with a poptastic chorus that features mates Chris Martin and Brandon Flowers. “Home” is a good modern indie rocker that gives the kids a run for their money while “Gaslight” adds some horns on a track that could have been on their mid 90s debut.
The title track sees singer and main songwriter Fran Healy deliver biting criticism of society with a talk/rap style of vocal. Best is second single “Bus” that has a 60s vibe shot through present day Glasgow, a bit melancholy and utterly brilliant. Even with Healy living in sunny L.A., the band still retains their damp Scottish attitude with blasts of sunlight streaming through.
7.5/10
The Light Appears 