Not that there wasn't an initial problem. First of all, "Sing," the first track on the CD, starts off with what sounds like a vacuum cleaner, ala Afghan Whigs GENTLEMEN, and I'm thinking, "Greg Dulli? ARGH! Where's my gun?!" Then, Travis' lead singer sounds like Bono. No, not the late lamented Congressman who couldn't sing or ski; I'm talking about the other Bono, the obnoxious little Orangeman who bounces up and down when he sings and whose music has become as wretched as his politics. Actually, he sounds like Bono with a 10 year sobriety pin. And that's a good thing. Travis isn't U2, and that's a good thing, too. Travis is from Scotland, not Ireland, and apparently a diet of haggis makes a better musician than a diet of boiled potatoes washed down with a pint or six of ale, Del Amitri not withstanding. The songs are sedate little numbers; there are times you can hear a pin drop between beats, but you're not going to fall asleep waiting. No, not at all. This CD clocks in at almost 60 minutes, but it slides down as quick and clean and as tasty as a can of Mello Yello on a summer afternoon in the Crescent City. Travis has learned that less is more, and mastered the ability to transform this concept to popular music. THE INVISIBLE BAND is full of ---what do you call it, when a song has a melody, and hooks, and is guitar-driven but not so putrid as to clear the room? Oh yeah --- beatlesque tunes that you'll swear you've heard before. And since "Sing" and "Side" is starting to get some airplay, you probably have. Yet, their songs are all originals. Looks easy, but it's hard to do.

These guys know how to make a record. They're not afraid to put it all out there, either, before you lay down your hard-earned bucks that you'd otherwise waste giving to your babymama. Go to their website (www.travisonline.com) and it's full of good stuff. You could easily kill a Saturday morning checking everything out. They've got the guitar charts for their songs, contests, information about the band, and samples of damn near everything they've ever done. There's a reason for this. They know that if you download 30 seconds or so of "Side," or "Follow the Light" or "Afterglow" off of THE INVISIBLE BAND you're gonna buy the whole kit and caboodle. There's only one quibble here. As is now fashionable, Travis has two of those "hidden" tracks tacked on at the end of THE INVISIBLE BAND. And I mean it's on the very end; you'll have time to grab a sandwich, let the dog out (and back in, if it's raining) and pee yourself before it kicks in. The first is a lovely little thing, catchy, melodic, and sentimental without being maudlin. Actually, it's like most of the other tracks on THE INVISIBLE BAND. And, ultimately, it is worth waiting for. The second is an uptempo, almost Americana-sounding number, possibly titled "You Don't Know What I'm Like." It almost sounds like the Beatles' "Octopus Garden" after reaching adolescence.

THE INVISIBLE BAND is going into heavy rotation in the casa de Hartlaub listening room. Right now. That's Travis, y'all. From Scotland. Who'd a thunk it? Scotland is reputed to produce the world's best doctors. If Travis keeps up this way Scotland may also be known for having the best rock bands as well.