Album Details

• Artist: Abby Travis
• Album: Iv
• Label: Educational Recordings
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2011-12-04

Abby Travis sleeps with visions of 1976 dancing in her head. "IV" is not only a nod to classic rock and the era when rock was king and mattered, but she also celebrates her own songwriting chops. While the music is better than her singing and writing, this is a fun record that bites and seduces with a great pop sense and the ability to sincerely rock.

Travis claims in the press release that this, her third, is her "glam record." Kinda. If you stretch glam to include Queen and Kansas, there you go. But this record is more than the sum of its heroes. On tracks like "One Hit Wonder" and "I Don't Know What It's Like," here power pop sense is right on, as are her funky, crunchy grooves.

Missteps? The third rate Beatles of the opener, "Lulu," and the ? and the Mysterians meets Doo-Wop of "Lightning Squared" seem more like a cover band trying too hard. What is also missing from many of these songs, given that Travis is a sought-after session bassist-is good groovy bass! Still, even that shows that she is acutely aware of her favorite era, including it shitty excesses.

Abby Travis has classic rock in her veins. "IV" shows that her admiration does not overlook the pretentions of the 60s and 70s. This is a great record, one that does her heroes justice: this is a record that aims to make every song mean something. And in a world of filler and half-hearted posing, that alone makes this worth it. But there are enough great songs here that make this worthy on its own chops.

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