Good Feeling

Like most post-Oasis bands, Travis are determined to be a classic band, which means they are decidedly classicist in their approach. Travis 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, Oasis. 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 Good Feeling that illustrate how the group's sound has its limits, but it's a promising debut that establishes Travis as one of the better British trad rock groups. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine|