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Everyone is born with an inherent talent, a special ability that naturally exudes from their soul without the effort or chore of learning it. Some people become artists, having an ability to paint, draw, sculpt and create masterpieces. Other individuals have an ability to write and create images through the imagery and tapestry of their words. And then there are those lucky individuals who effortlessly make well-formed music. Graham Travis is one of those innate musically inclined souls. Judging from the quality of the works from his debut album he has found his distinctive talent and is sharing it with the world.
Track listing:
01 clearer than you think
02 so wonderful
03 tripped you up
04 lacey in trouble
05 jesus, build me a railroad
06 undeniable
07 it goes around
08 gone travelin'
09 out of reach
10 caroline
11 why don't you know me yet?
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Everything Graham Travis shares with world is self taught. He began singing in church choirs when he was just a young boy. His father was a musician and at an early age Travis would sit in on band practices and absorb the sounds around him. He proceeded to sing throughout high school and at the age of nineteen taught himself to play guitar. After effortlessly mastering the guitar, he moved on to piano. Still learning and growing, he hopes to learn more and more. Before going solo he played in an Emo rock band entitled Radio Maria. Infused with sounds of Neil Young, Buddy Holly, Brian Wilson, Beatles and even some more recent Indie and Retro-pop figures, Graham Travis shares with the world songs that are nothing less than beautiful, catchy and fresh.
The opening track “Clearer than You Think” features Travis on guitars, tambourine and vocals. It’s a touching song with poignant lyrics and instrumentation that is combines a pleasant mix of electric and acoustic guitar. The following track is subtle, complex and utterly beautiful. “So Wonderful” is one of the highlights to the album with a sound that sounds undeniably close to Badly Drawn Boy. Travis shows once again his remarkable musical talents featuring him on piano, guitars, glockenspiel, sleigh bells, shakers, and vocals. “Tripped You Up” is a brilliant pop masterpiece with lyrics and jingle so catchy you’ll find yourself hitting the repeat button. My absolute favorite track on the album is “Jesus, Build Me a Railroad” featuring him solo on guitars, drums, keyboards, bottle and vocals. The highly unique and quirky tune utterly reminds me of something Neutral Milk Hotel might have created. Questioning lyrics leave the listener wondering their own fate and demise:
“Jesus I never read your bible, I still believe in revival
Just not sure is you would let me in
Jesus, did you ever imagine the price of cheating a good friend?
I’m sure you could mend my pain
But Jesus, what if I made someone’s blood spill
Shook the dirty hand of the Devil,
Surely pardon would not be sane
Jesus, from where I sit, I see you through the layers of bullshit
And I think that you could mend my pain”
The song is absolutely beautiful and nothing but undeniably unique with a plucking of acoustic chords that is haunting and unforgettable. “Undeniable” is exactly that, nothing but undeniable. The combination of the organ and shaker has an effect on the listener that leaves you reminiscing from sounds of the 60’s, 70’s, religious hymns and yet it’s all masterfully played along the backdrop of some of the most appealing verses of today’s Indie rock.
Although Graham Travis is not widely known yet, he definitely has a bright and upcoming future. His Indie-pop music is light, perfectly paced, and palatable which incorporates a variety of genres and sounds amazingly well. His work is lovely, deeply personal and most amazingly of all, self taught. He has a talent that cannot be learned or duplicated, it comes from within his heart and soul and only he can take credit for that.
-Christine Beals 09/13/04
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