Now I’m the last person to big up Travis (no – that isn’t true, everyone else on NYLPM are probably the last person – but that still puts me in the last thirteen). However listening to Sing by Travis it occurs to me that it is musically rather disturbing. What we have is a particularly sinister banjo line which recalls the bit just before Duelling Banjoes kicks in. So far so Deliverance. The rest of the band plod on, but in the background we have the sound of tolling bells phased and played backwards. The effect – with Frannie’s usual just about melodic singing is really rather unsettling. It has the subliminal noise feel of much good feedback rock, yet it is quite clearly bells and hidden well under a pretty bland piece of trad Travis.
Of course we have already noted – by use of science – that the lyrics are pants so no need to proclaim it as genius yet. However I would be interested to see if anyone else finds Sing musically quite as scary as I do.