Like most post-
Oasis
bands,
Travis
are determined to be a classic band, which means they are decidedly classicist in their approach.
have the traditional
Britpop
influences --
Beatles
,
Kinks
Small Faces
, etc. -- which are filtered through such '90s peers as
the Stone Roses
Manic Street Preachers
, and, of course,
. Fortunately, they aren't tied to the '60s, like
Cast
or
Ocean Colour Scene
; they try to revitalize the traditions with harder backbeats and louder guitars, and
Fran Healy
's voice often strains at the edge of screaming. That approach can keep their conventional aspects entertaining, but what makes
Good Feeling
a successful debut is that
Healy
can write hooks, whether it's the anthemic
"All I Want to Do Is Rock"
or the stompy
"U16 Girls."
There are several slow spots on
that illustrate how the group's sound has its limits, but it's a promising debut that establishes
as one of the better British trad
rock
groups. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine