Chandler Travis Three-O
This is what bears look like underwater
(Iddy Biddy)
Cape Cod’s prolific pop madman Chandler Travis seems to spawn projects and albums at giddy speed. His latest, the Three-O (with four members), differentiates itself quickly, with an opening track that mixes a circus of instruments into a peppy, somehow amusing ride. From there, he heads to more usual territory, somewhere between back-alley swing and guitar-fueled pop balladry. Travis possesses a quirky sense of lyrics and a comfortable baritone, and it’s a reliable pleasure to hear the tales he weaves. On this disc, Travis seems to favor a more introspective, even nostalgic brand of songwriting, and a pervasive air of melancholy blows through nearly all the tunes. The disc feels at times like a back-porch session somewhere near Morocco, at other times like a lazy ramble through a smoke-filled pawn shop. All that salt air seems to produce a devil-may-care approach that results in songs that are nonetheless incisive and compelling. —James Heflin