Travis: The Man Who

Seldom has a band that owed so much needed to apologize so little. Glasgow's Travis would be nowhere if Radiohead had never made The Bends, but by following its example, it's created a wonderfully moody pop record that understandably met with acclaim and tremendous success upon its release in Britain last year. Of course, maybe Travis can't help itself: Singer-songwriter Fran Healy's voice clearly resembles Thom Yorke's plaintive yowl, and his music and band may simply be following suit, although that still leaves the issue of OK Computer producer Nigel Goodrich, who produced the lion's share of The Man Who's tracks. Even so, it only takes one listen to discern the difference between the derivative and the inspired, and textured, melancholy pop doesn't get much better than this. Travis defines its terms immediately, with the album-opening "Writing To Reach You" mixing propulsive, slightly off-kilter drumming with layers of acoustic and electric noise and a heartbroken, soaring vocal. The rest of the album continues in that vein, although Travis comes close to uplift on two of the album's high points, "Driftwood" and "Turn." Maybe that will someday set the band apart from its primary inspiration, since Radiohead couldn't write anything approaching happy on the sunniest day of the year. The Man Who usually sounds like little more than the most groundbreaking album of 1995, but, paradoxically or not, it's still essential.