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Travis – The Only Thing

Travis – The Only Thing

Travis is one of those consistently good bands that is largely underappreciated in North America, where its mellifluous melodies have failed to connect with listeners as they have with their British faithful.

The Only Thing is pure Travis with the delightful addition of American Susanna Hoffs, the Bangles co-founder who shares his smoky, sultry voice to a lovely, lilting tune that is gorgeously orchestrated. It’s a serious attempt to reach American audiences while the song’s video tempers any soberness with the band’s wry response to the la-la-la harmonizing between Hoff and singer Fran Healy midway through the song.

You could pick any Travis album from the past 20+ years and be delighted by the superb songwriting of this band from Glasgow, Scotland. Healy and compatriots have dutifully delivered the goods while performing in the shadow of the relatively more successful Coldplay. Most Travis songs don’t have the same anthemic quality as those of their Brit counterparts, but they are no less worthy of one’s attention.

10 Songs, the ninth studio album from Travis, was released in October 2020 under the pandemic veil of the coronavirus, virtually assuring that the group will stay under the radar for the foreseeable future. The Only Thing shows Travis remains undeterred.

Eivør – Í Tokuni

Eivør – Í Tokuni

There is something unexplainable about the allure of discovering something new. The experience provides an undeniable thrill that is very real and revelatory.

For the aurally adventurous, there is nothing quite like being excited by an artist who was previously unknown. It is the emotional equivalent of sightseeing in a new country for the first time.

The music of Eivør Pálsdóttir is likely unknown to most people in North America and most would struggle to locate the singer’s native Faroe Islands on a map. But both are beautifully evident in the song, Í Tokuni, which many will find magical and mysterious.

Located roughly halfway between Iceland and Norway, the Faroe Islands is a self-governing nation within the Kingdom of Denmark and it is where Eivør puts her distinctive voice to work. Her music is hauntingly hypnotic in its ability to create an atmosphere that is absolutely mesmerizing. The song’s dynamics – the catchy keyboards, the banshee-like quality of its chorus – are matched by the choreographic connection between her stylized performance and its sinister but seductive tone.

Eivør has an otherworldly quality that is very pure and pleasing. For further proof of her powerful talent, check out the vocal acrobatics evident in her performance of Trøllabundin during an outdoor concert at a mountain farm in the fjords of Norway. It is utterly breathtaking.