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The Boy With No Name instantly gets Travis back to the business of being Travis. [#25, p.102]

Under The Radar

Travis has taken the last four years to square their sunnier sound with their darker one. The Boy With No Name pulls this off without seeming overly planned or calculated. [#17, p.87]

Hot Press

The Boy With No Name has a handful of absolute crackers, proving that Travis are still capable of penning a tune that wraps its tendrils around your ears and won’t let go until at least four minutes have passed.

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Hartford Courant

Healy is back to penning unabashed, sparkling pop gems.

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Delusions of Adequacy

A good, albeit soft, Brit-pop CD, from a band that continues to mature.

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Stylus Magazine

The boys deliver the same sort of agreeable Britpop they've made their name on, wisely realizing that ambition's really not for everyone.

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Entertainment Weekly

The loose vibe works, but unlike "sing," humming along won't come naturally. [18 May 2007, p.66]

Alternative Press

Overall, The Boy With No Name has just enough personality to remind imitators like Coldplay and Keane from whence they came. [Jun 2007, p.151]

musicOMH.com

[They] have returned sounding pretty much exactly the same as they did three and a half years ago.

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Uncut

Amiably lightweight. [Jun 2007, p.115]

Mojo

[Their] first [album] to sound authentically beaten up. [Jun 2007, p.101]

PopMatters

The disappointing moments are fleeting, as Travis has figured out that the niche they created for themselves eight years ago is a comfy one, a sound which, inoffensive and safe as it may be, suits the band perfectly.

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Pitchfork

While the first half of the record is promising, however, the band loses steam toward the end.

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Dot Music

There are no surprises or unexpected turns and the overall dearth of spontaneity ensures an empty and shallow experience.

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Austin Chronicle

Sadly, the last third of this Boy sinks, but by then the damage is already done.

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Rolling Stone

Occasionally they attempt to rise above their signature light Brit-pop sound with slightly heavier tunes like "My Eyes Wide Open," but it comes off as forced.

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Slant Magazine

The band may have paved the way for the likes of Coldplay and Snow Patrol, but they still haven't found their "Clocks" or "Chasing Cars."

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Drowned In Sound

For a band with such a legacy, and a pre-millennium back catalogue to die for, this record feels hollow and uninspiring.

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The Guardian

There are plenty more wishy-washy guitar tunes present like the drippy, tambourine laced Battleships, the wheezing Out in Space and the sub-danger of Eyes Wide Open; all riddled with Fran Healy's girlish croon. Spare us.

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New Musical Express

'The Boy With No Name' is everything you'd expect from a new Travis album and less.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 45 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Amurabi M. gave it a5:
This is just what we expect from Travis: supermarket music. The kind of boring, sweet, melodious and sometimes desperating songs of love and alienation. No more and no less.

Marcel C gave it a10:
This is a gem of an album,in my opinion their most consistent to date...getting a hammering from the critics which is unjustified...great comeback and receiving high rotation from this listener.

Steve M gave it a9:
Just like other users have said - the critics have it wrong. It's a great record. It falls just short of "The Man Who" and trumps all other Travis albums in my opinion. It's great to have them back.

Joe M gave it a9:
what a great cd! i can't understand why critic dump on Travis so bad? they stay as original as when they first came out thats why the fans stay true.they do what they want and to the fans thats what they want.they don't want to be like anybody else.they want to be like Travis.i wont even compare this cd with their others .they are all great in my opinion,even 12 memories which i really like too.

Ahsan M gave it a10:
I love Travis's music and they have done a great job with this album. I am throughly dissappointed with the music critics though - they are complete out of syn with what people what to hear. Everyone who has listened to it - feels the same way - essentially its a great album, I highly recommend it.

william o gave it a9:
This album is like meeting an old friend after a few years and you don't want to lose him again!

Steve E gave it a9:
Travis doing what they do best. Ignore the critics who have a downer on this sort of music at the moment. Best offering since The Man Who. Top stuff.

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The Boy With No Name

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