Today's music world seems to enjoy indulging in nostalgia as bands reunite and artists try to turn back the clock. One man going against this grain and looking towards the future is Travis frontman, Fran Healy.
Fran Healy goes it alone
Approximately 13 years since Travis' debut album, Healy has decided to have a go at bringing out his own solo album, Wreckorder, and what an album it is. Many Travis fans will see a lot of similarities with the band, but they should expect this as Healy is the frontman, lead singer and lead songwriter for the Scottish rockers.
The man who grows up
As quoted in the Sun, Healy says, "Being in Travis is what I've been doing since I was a kid. I needed a break, an artistic break." Travis' biggest success came with its second album, The Man Who, and many people remember the then 25 year old Healy as the babyfaced singer inside the cover of the album. The cover of Wreckorder shows an older, bearded Healy, and the album shows how Healy has matured musically over the years. Healy is very much a modest man and one who is very open and grateful to his fans. Travis fans are very aware that Healy is no longer the young boy from The Man Who and that he is now not only a husband after he married his long term girlfriend, Nora Kryst, but also a father to their son, Clay.
During Healy's many years in the music industry he has rubbed shoulders and befriended many talented and well respected musicians, some of whom make brief appearances on his debut album. These names include Healy's fellow Travis band mate, guitarist Andy Dunlop, Noah and the Whale's fiddle player, Tom Hobden, the New Pornographers singer Neko Case, and perhaps arguably the biggest name of all, former bassist for the Beatles, Paul McCartney. Healy was so grateful to McCartney for his involvement that he actually followed in McCartney's footsteps and became a vegetarian.
Wreckorder: the album
Healy's solo album kicks off with the eerily gloomy but soothing track, "In The Morning". This leads beautifully into the hopeful "Anything", as though the first track is the nervous, cold night which slowly thaws into the lovely sunrise of the morning. Written especially for a duet with Neko Case, the relaxed "Sing Me To Sleep" showcases the great chemistry between the two singers as their soothing voices blend together making the listener totally relax.
As "Sing Me To Sleep"'s cheerful tune fades out, "Fly in the Ointment" muscles its way through with gloomy cello and atmospheric fiddle. Matching very well is the lyrical message of the track, with Healy complaining about various things making him late for an appointment with his best friend at the bar. The fifth track, "As It Comes", features Paul McCartney on bass. A slow, dark melody creates a melancholy mood as Healy sings about a mundane, monotonous marriage where he takes every day as it comes.
The first single from the album, "Buttercups", finds Healy doing something he's done before with a well known Travis single, "Driftwood". As Healy sings about a sad incident, when a girl he picked buttercups for didn't appreciate them, the melody of the track is a cheerful one, creating an oxymoronic feel. This then fades to the chimes, ghostly piano notes and soft howls of "Shadow Boxing", in which Healy's soft, eerie but relaxing tone gives a feeling of loneliness. The chiming guitar chords of "Holiday", which are very reminiscent of Travis' "Writing to Reach You", then seep through as Healy sings about his need to disappear without a trace. The track's meaning is a feeling almost everyone can associate with and shows how Healy's songs are universal.
As "Holiday" comes to an end, the beautiful folk-like "Rocking Chair" begins with a mournful, relaxing tone. This track is a chilling but perfect piece of music as Healy looks back on life with a poignant feel, wondering where time went, again another universal feeling. The use of the fiddle in the track really goes well with the folk-like qualities, and the way in which it plays the song out makes this track one of the best on the album. This then signals the final track of the album. "Moonshine" kicks off with a more uptempo feel that will have many people tapping their feet along in time with the music. The images portrayed by Healy of children dreaming, the cow jumping over the moon, and the protagonist dancing in the moonlight with his lover make this track a creative piece of work which shows the world by night, under the moon.
In the limited edition hardback copy of Wreckorder there are also two bonus tracks. The whistling of the chorus of "Sierra Leone" also signals the opening to the track, as the relaxed and catchy tune goes alongside Healy's vocals, in which he asks, "Baby, baby, baby, where did you go?" Of course, "Sierra Leone" is the answer. The final bonus track is a demo of "As It Comes".
Wreckorder: the verdict
Travis fans will be happy with the similarities to Healy's main gig. But there are also many differences, with his country-like work alongside Neko Case in the track "Sing Me To Sleep" and the beautiful folk-inspired track, "Rocking Chair". The similarities to Travis but also the individualism of Healy mean this debut album ticks all of the boxes and is a great way to kick off Healy's solo career, thus earning Wreckorder full marks. It will also get fans of Travis and Fran Healy in the mood for more as they hopefully await a new album from the Scottish rockers. This very successful solo debut by Healy will also have many hoping for another solo album from him somewhere down the line.
Nicholas Benson - Nicholas Benson is a 22 year old with a passion for writing. Since high school he has been interested in various aspects of literature ...
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