Where You Stand is the seventh studio album from Scottish rock band Travis, released on 19 August 2013, on their own record label, Red Telephone Box via Kobalt Label Services.[2] The album was produced by Michael Ilbert, and promoted by three singles: "Where You Stand", "Moving" and "Mother". It is the first album released by the band after a five-year break.

Where You Stand
Studio album by
Released19 August 2013 (2013-08-19)
RecordedJanuary 2011 – June 2013
Studio
GenrePost-Britpop, alternative rock, soft rock
Length42:03
LabelRed Telephone Box / Kobalt Label Services
ProducerMichael Ilbert
Travis chronology
Ode to J. Smith
(2008)
Where You Stand
(2013)
Everything at Once
(2016)
Singles from Where You Stand
  1. "Where You Stand"
    Released: 30 April 2013
  2. "Moving"
    Released: 1 July 2013
  3. "Mother"
    Released: 4 November 2013

Background edit

Where You Stand is the band's first new album in five years, as their sixth studio record Ode to J. Smith was released in 2008. Speaking about the band's departure from the spotlight, bassist Dougie Payne said of the release: "You stay away as long as it takes, so you feel that hunger and desire to get back to it same as you did at the start."[3] It is also their first which all the members were contributed on songwriting, rather than the vocalist Fran Healy, who served as the lyricist on their first six studio albums.

Release and packaging edit

The album was released in a number of different versions:

  • Standard digital release – containing eleven tracks, with registration to access all areas;
  • Standard physical release – with eleven tracks, fourteen-page roll-fold booklet and registration to access all areas;
  • Deluxe physical release – with thirteen tracks, including bonus tracks "Anniversary" and "Parallel Lines (Daydream)", plus DVD with the making of the album and 'Where You Stand' music video, and registration to access all areas;
  • Heavyweight vinyl release – with eleven tracks, registration to access all areas and code for download version of the album;
  • Super deluxe box set – including deluxe thirteen track CD album with bonus DVD, heavyweight vinyl release with 11 tracks, code for download version of the album, registration to access all areas, a vinyl sleeve signed by the band, 12" x 12" art photo of the band, T-shirt designed by Fran Healy, all kept in a collector's edition presentation box;
  • Special Japanese deluxe edition – with exclusive bonus track "Ferris Wheel".[4]

Promotion edit

On 20 March 2013, the band released a song titled "Another Guy", together with a music video directed by Wolfgang Becker, as a teaser for the album.[5]

Travis supported the release of Where You Stand with a number of live performances, including T in the Park on 13 July 2013, as well as at Sandown Park Racecourse on 24 July, and at V Festival on 17–18 August 2013, just two days before the album's release.

The album was also promoted by three singles. "Where You Stand" was released as the album's lead single on 30 April 2013.[6] A music video for the song premiered on VEVO the same day. The single was accompanied by a shorter radio mix, which also used more orchestration on the chorus. "Moving" was released as the second single on 1 July 2013, together with an accompanying music video.[7] The third and final single from the album, "Mother", was released on 4 November 2013.[8][9] A music video for the song was released on 15 October 2013.[10]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [12]
Clash8/10[13]
Consequence of Sound     [14]
The Guardian     [15]
The Independent     [16]
The Daily Telegraph     [17]
Slant Magazine     [18]

Where You Stand received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 70, based on 19 reviews.[11]

Track listing edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mother"Fran Healy, Dougie Payne, Andy Dunlop, Neil Primrose3:58
2."Moving"Payne4:32
3."Reminder"Healy3:21
4."Where You Stand"Payne, Holly Partridge, Healy3:40
5."Warning Sign"Healy3:51
6."Another Guy"Healy, Payne, Dunlop3:41
7."A Different Room"Payne3:58
8."New Shoes"Healy3:33
9."On My Wall"Payne2:52
10."Boxes"Healy, Dunlop4:22
11."The Big Screen"Healy, Dunlop4:15
Total length:42:03
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Anniversary"Healy3:55
13."Parallel Lines"Dunlop3:49
Total length:49:48
Japanese deluxe edition bonus tracks[19]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Anniversary"Healy3:55
13."Parallel Lines"Dunlop3:49
14."Ferris Wheel" 3:03
Total length:52:51

Personnel edit

Charts edit

Charts (2013) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[21] 18
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[22] 53
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[23] 35
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[24] 46
French Albums (SNEP)[25] 104
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[26] 6
Irish Albums (IRMA)[27] 63
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[28] 25
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[29] 16
Scottish Albums (OCC)[30] 1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[31] 32
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 3
UK Albums (OCC)[33] 3
US Billboard 200[34] 100
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[35] 21
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[36] 30

Release history edit

Region Date Format Label Edition
Japan 14 August 2013 CD, digital download Universal Japan Japanese edition
United Kingdom 19 August 2013 Red Telephone Box via Kobalt Label Services Standard, Deluxe

References edit

  1. ^ "Travis recording album". Ocean Sound Recordings. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  2. ^ Hart, Tina (25 April 2013). "Kobalt Label Services signs Travis album deal". Music Week. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Travis unveil 'Where You Stand' album tracklisting". NME. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  4. ^ "'Where You Stand' Album Page". Travisonline.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  5. ^ "Download a new track from Travis". travisonline.com. 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  6. ^ Greenwald, David (25 April 2013). "Travis Return with 'Where You Stand'". Billboard. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  7. ^ Travis – Moving on YouTube
  8. ^ Lane, Daniel (4 November 2013). "This week's new releases 04-11-2013". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Mother – Single by Travis". iTunes Store (GB). 4 November 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  10. ^ Travis – Mother on YouTube
  11. ^ a b "Where You Stand Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  12. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Where You Stand – Travis". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  13. ^ James, Gareth (5 August 2013). "Travis – Where You Stand". Clash. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  14. ^ Bray, Ryan (23 August 2013). "Album Review: Travis – Where You Stand". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  15. ^ Simpson, Dave (15 August 2013). "Travis: Where You Stand – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  16. ^ Gill, Andy (16 August 2013). "Album review: Travis, Where You Stand (Red Telephone Box)". The Independent. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  17. ^ Brown, Helen (16 August 2013). "Travis, Where You Stand, review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  18. ^ Sullivan, Blue (14 August 2013). "Travis: Where You Stand | Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  19. ^ "Where You Stand Travis [CD]". CDJapan.co.jp. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  20. ^ a b "Where You Stand – Travis | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  21. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Travis – Where You Stand" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  22. ^ "Ultratop.be – Travis – Where You Stand" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  23. ^ "Ultratop.be – Travis – Where You Stand" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  24. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Travis – Where You Stand" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  25. ^ "Lescharts.com – Travis – Where You Stand". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  26. ^ "Officialcharts.de – Travis – Where You Stand". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  27. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 34, 2013". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  28. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2013-09-02" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  29. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Travis – Where You Stand". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  30. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  31. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Travis – Where You Stand". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  32. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Travis – Where You Stand". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  33. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  34. ^ "Travis Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  35. ^ "Travis Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  36. ^ "Travis Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2014.