CD reviews: Travis

Travis burst into life in the late '90s with a polite swagger and a handful of wistful yet big-hitting singles; a case of perfect timing for the jangly Scots quartet, when guitar bands with soaring melodies and heart-on-sleeve introspection were richly rewarded.

Yet the charm of their gentle melodies soon wore off and by 2007's pallid the Boy With No Name they appeared to be in decline.

So it goes with their eighth album, revealing a band at odds with artistic U-turns: save for the spartan melancholy of Radio Song, these are 10 twinkly guitar-pop trinkets that drift by listlessly.

• Travis. Everything at Once. Red Telephone Box.   

• Two stars (out of five) 

Single download: Radio Song
For those who like: R.E.M. meets The Script

- John Hayden