Some time off solves Travis' pickle

After taking some time off following tours for their last album and a serious injury to drummer Neil Primrose, Scottish pop sensations Travis are back with their newest LP, 12 Memories. With this, their fourth album, the Glaswegian lads have made a welcome return to the darker themes and moods of their seminal sophomore release The Man Who and move away from the simpler tunes of third album The Invisible Band. \nThe title of the LP seems to imply introspective lyrics about memories, but some of the songs don't quite fit this expectation as Travis begins to wax political. For example, "Peace the F--- Out" carries messages of individual empowerment while "Re-Offender" narrates a situation of domestic violence. \nMore interesting, however, are the intricate instrumentation of "Walking Down the Hill" and the catchy melody of "Love Will Come Through," a song that also appeared on the soundtrack for the 2002 Dustin Hoffman-Susan Sarandon film Moonlight Mile.\n12 Memories is a mature step forward for Travis. While The Invisible Band was not exactly a misstep, this newest release seems to be a more cohesive and complete album. It explores more serious and socially-minded lyrical themes and continues the band's evolution from their rough early days to higher musical sophistication.